Legalise informal settlements to give poor families the right to demand basic services

Informal settlements have proliferated in Afghan cities as a result of conflict and drought. The fall of the Taliban in 2001 increased the spread of urbanisation due to returning refugees seeking employment. Informal settlements are built on public land, without legal rights and government agencies have found it difficult to extend basic services to these poor urban communities.

This paper examines the coping mechanisms and diverse livelihood strategies of poor urban households across several Afghan cities. It finds that:

• land and tenure insecurity traps urban families in cycles of poverty and excludes them from basic services
• poor access to healthcare and education exacerbate the unhealthy living conditions in the settlements and add to insecurity
• legal tenure is usually the key to accessing services, and contributes to urban livelihood security and poverty reduction

The paper notes that urban planning systems are ill-equipped to serve the sprawling settlements and the responsible agencies do not have the resources, capacity or authority to do so. It argues that current urban policies lack pro-poor direction giving way to land grabbing and informal enclosures. The poor level of urban governance has also resulted in forced evictions to make way for luxury housing for government officials who were awarded legal rights to the land.

The paper calls for a people-centred holistic planning approach that would enable the responsible agencies deliver services. It suggests the government gives a general amnesty to informal settlements to provide for immediate security for informal dwellers and stimulate private investment in formal housing. The paper makes several recommendations which include:

• develop a planning framework that anticipates the growth of informal settlements
• build capacity for leaders to develop more flexible planning tools adaptable to the realities on the ground
• improve coordination and cooperation between ministries and municipalities
• develop national urban land policy that focuses on equitable development and considers how to accommodate residents on untenable land
• provide security of tenure to residents in recognised informal settlements
• ensure universal coverage of basic services
• include community consultation to ensure appropriate service standards