Critical Infrastructures in Informal Settlements of Maputo City, Mozambique: The Importance of Interdependencies for Interventions Prioritization

• Published in: Urban science 2024-11, Vol.8 (4), p.195
• Main Authors: Cabrita, Sílvia, Matos, José Saldanha, Ferreira, Filipa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Budgets; Cities; Climate change; Defecation; Developing countries; Drainage; Ghettos; Households; Human rights; informal settlements; Infrastructure; interdependencies; interventions prioritization; Land settlement; Land use; LDCs; Neighborhoods; Peri-urban areas; Population growth; Public health; Sanitation; Stormwater; Urban areas; urban infrastructures; Urbanization; Waste management; Water supply
• ISSN: 2413-8851; 2413-8851
• DOI: 10.3390/urbansci8040195

In Africa, the urban population and informal settlements are increasing, resulting in additional public health and environmental risks and challenges related to the need for basic and sustainable infrastructures and services. In Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, at least 80% of the city is composed of informal settlements, and although some areas are regularized and have approved urbanization plans, the municipality has major deficiencies in meeting current demands in terms of basic infrastructures, such as water supply, sewerage, solid wastes, energy, roads, and communications. Most of the peri-urban areas are occupied by small but overcrowded houses, mostly self-built, served by unpaved roads, and with access limitations. The water pipe network is almost non-existent, and the same occurs with stormwater drainage, sanitation, waste collection, and public illumination services. Despite the improvements made in the last few years, some households still do not have safe sanitation, and in some neighborhoods, open defecation still prevails. In this study, the authors try to understand and explore the interdependences among the infrastructures of the different sectors and how they may jointly contribute to adequate services and a better life for the urban poor. And how to identify the combination of infrastructures to be implemented in the short term in the face of limited budgets for investments. For that purpose, a simplified conceptual approach is proposed and applied to an informal neighborhood in Maputo.