#15 PhD Student Mpumelelo Sibanda reflecting on Summer School 2025
Rethinking Urban Inclusion in Flood-Prone Slums: The case of Ebute, Ilaje, Bariga
Designing urban spaces to cater for the present and future generations is necessary for the inclusivity of cities. Inclusive urban futures is about designing and shaping cities where people can fully participate and thrive regardless of their economic status and their background (Sustainability Directory, 2025). This vision of inclusive urban futures entails shifting away from one size fits all and standardised approaches to considering a wide range of human needs that exists within the rapidly urbanised world (Ibid). In this urban era, poor people in cities are marginalised and face various challenges ranging from economic to socially and environmentally.
The extreme weather events such as floods also affect people in cities especially those living in informal settlements. According to Bulkeley (2018) flood events are happening at an increasing rate and intensity due to climate change mostly causing severe damage to informal settlements located along the waterfronts. These settlements are often overlooked in urban flood management and city planning due to their informal status (Tillernuir et al, 2025). Informal settlements often disproportionately experience the negative impacts of flooding due to their location, perceived transience, and socio-economic vulnerabilities (Tillermuir et al, 2025). According to Adegun (2022) approximately 50% of urban residents live in slums and informal settlements in Sub-SaharanAfrica, with majority located on the waterfronts, low-lying areas and riparian corridors.
Ebute Ilaje Bariga is one of the riverine slum communities located in Bariga, Lagos. The buildings, roads, and services are developed in an informal way without proper planning. Lack of proper planning also means that the community has problems like flooding, poor sanitation, water pollution, inadequate infrastructure, insecure land tenure and poor waste management. However, regardless of these of problems, Ebute, Ilaje in Bariga has built a resilient community spirit. They work together through Community Development Associations (CDAs) and religious groups to solve local problems and support one another. One of the women leaders informed us that they formed their community group known as God’s Will which falls under Slum Dweller International (SDI). In this group they have personal savings which they use for emergency and profitable savings (Urban Poor Fund) that assist when there is a need.
The community’s economic mainstay is derived from fishing activities, sand dredging and mercantilism due to its proximity to the Lagoon. However, this proximity to the Lagoon comes with negative effects, such as flooding. Flooding has devastating consequences for the community of Ilaje community. These include severe damages to property, loss of life and health risks. These consequences have a dire impact on the community’s inclusiveness in the city of Lagos.
The aim of inclusive urban futures is to support everyone and ensure that no one is excluded, marginalised or left behind. The practicality of inclusive urban futures speaks to the city that actively works to eliminate various barriers that prevent certain groups from enjoying urban life (Sustainability Directory, 2025). This is not just about addressing the shortcomings of today but also the needs of tomorrow’s urban dwellers. In doing so, various actions can be taken to address the current effects of floods in Ebute, Ilaje community in Bariga. These actions are discussed below.
Improving drainage systems
During periods of heavy rainfall, lagoons overflow their banks causing water to spread across these lagoon banks into the community (Community member , 2025). Ebute, Ilaje Bariga lacks the infrastructure to manage heavy rainfall and typically lacks adequate drainage systems, which can lead to water accumulation and flooding. The poor drainage system is worsening the situation as the storm water is not drained or collected properly. In the absence of proper drainage systems, water floods the houses and the surroundings. According to Mahne (2024), flood detention ponds can be constructed to absorb excess water and slowly release it to the environment. However, special care must be taken in the design and construction of these ponds, as they can fill up quickly and potentially overflow, worsening the flooding problem in nearby areas (Ibid). Upgrading these systems involves installing new drains, culverts, and channels to help direct stormwater away from homes and other structures.
Reducing waste
The community of Ebute, Ilaje Bariga suffers from solid waste such as plastics which is strewn across the community. These plastics often blocks the self-made drainage systems. In the occurrence of floods, these self-made drainage systems fill up quickly due to plastics inside the drainage system. In such cases mechanism such as enforced penalties for littering are crucial.
Community-led solutions
The implementation of community-led green infrastructure, such as tree planting in community surroundings and lawns in low lying areas where water becomes stagnant can improve the effects of floods. Thus, by planting trees and lawns, the community of Ebute, Ilaje, Bariga can significantly improve the capacity of their community to absorb rainwater, reduce runoff, and ultimately mitigate the risk of flooding in the future.
In conclusion, slums located near water sources often experience acute impacts of floods. This is intensified by poor or inadequate urban infrastructure in such communities. The government, civil society and community can work together to improve the infrastructure so that no community is marginalised and excluded from the city. We must acknowledge that cities are for everyone and they must be designed accordingly so that everyone enjoys the quality of life in cities.
References
- Adegun, O. (2023). Climatic disasters within a flood-prone coastal slum in Lagos: coping capacities and adaptation prospects, International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 14(2), 212-228. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJDRBE-11-2021-0154
- Bulkeley, H. (2021). Climate changed urban futures: environmental politics in the anthropocene city, Environmental Politics, 30(1-2), 266-284. https://doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2021.1880713
- Manhe, O. (March 5, 2024). Transforming informal settlements with modern drainage solutions URL: https://www.bizcommunity.com/article/transforming-informal-settlements-with-modern-drainage-solutions-127676a. Accessed 04 June 2025.
- Sustainability Directory. (16 April, 2025). Inclusive Urban Futures. URL: https://lifestyle.sustainability-directory.com/term/inclusive-urban-futures/. Accessed 1 July 2025.
- Tillermuir, H., Carboni, L., Hotchin, C, Lal, H. & Morrison R. (2025). A holistic framework to improve urban flood management in cities with informal settlements, Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/2634-4505/adc32f
