Field Assessment Concerning Multiple Deprivations in Slums and Squatter Settlements in Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract

This study is the result of a field assessment conducted in slum communities and squatter settlements in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal from May 7th to May 26th. The purpose of this study is to determine the most significant and urgent deprivations and vulnerabilities faced by the people who live in these neighbourhoods scattered throughout the region, and to find possible areas of intervention for NGOs, INGOs, and other development organizations. With these results, we hope that these organizations will be able to use their resources to discover the most effective methods for providing Kathmandu’s slum dwellers and squatter settlement inhabitants with access to basic urban services, increasing access to financial and labour markets, and improving overall quality of life. The areas under assessment include: Household Profiles; Housing, Shelter and Safety; Sanitation and Water Infrastructure; Food Security and Urban Farming; Energy Infrastructure; Access to Capital and Financial Services; Economic Self-Reliance and Sustainability; and Environmental Sustainability. The quantitative and qualitative results are presented in the order in which they were asked to participants, except in cases where the grouping of thematic data was appropriate and relevant. In addition, figures from Lumanti’s report “Status of Squatter Communities along the Bagmati River and its Tributaries in Kathmandu Valley” are given alongside results from this assessment where relevant. The results are then analysed, and the implications of these results for development practice are articulated before prescriptive advice for intervention is given.