EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
UN-Habitat, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, is dedicated to promoting socially and environmentally sustainable development of human settlements in an urbanized world. In collaboration with the Yangon Regional Government (YRG) and the Yangon City Development Committee (YCDC), and with the funding of Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), UN-Habitat has developed the Yangon Informal Settlements – Resettlement Programme (YIS-RP) that aims to mitigate resettlement risks and increase the protection for households resettled from informal settlements located in hazardous locations in Yangon’s resettlement areas relating to the government’s intention to resettle. YIS-RP further has the objective to develop protection measures, to assess the viability of the proposed resettlement site, and to elaborate policy, planning and design guidelines on resettlement through provision of technical support to government. With this regard, UN-Habitat advocates for a resettlement process, which is managed through a consultative participatory approach following international norms and practices to ensure resettlement is voluntary. To ascertain the level of willingness among informal settlers to resettle, UN-Habitat commissioned Myanmar Survey Research Co.,Ltd. to conduct a field study on vulnerable settlements in Hlaing Thar Yar Township to assess settlement histories as well as living conditions of the informal settlement with their challenges and the beneficial components in the current living location on the one hand, and to shed light on the decision making process of settlement locations in general and the disposition of the local communities considering a possible resettlement on the other hand.
The study found that large groups of households settled in Hlaing Thar Yar five to ten years ago, with the majority of households coming from the Ayeyarwady region in search of better livelihood opportunities. Factors such as the affordability of renting a house or buying land, the availability of empty land and the proximity to work, family and friends have been identified as main drivers for choosing Hlaing Thar Yar as location. The latter was mentioned by 67% of the questioned households, underlining the importance of social networks in decision-making process about settlement locations.
When it comes to the informal settlement land households live on, the majority of household squat (59%), every fifth household rents (21%) and 15% own their land. However, when looking at the documentation of the households that own their land, almost half have no documents at all, hinting at a fragile land tenure situation. In terms of housing, 72% of households own their house, 25% rent their house and 3% occupy a house for free, with varying housing prices throughout the different types of settlements. Overall, 77% of households like their current living conditions and point out that the settlements feel very united and have grown together over time; with some community groups active in the settlements and strong community ties. Besides the social ties, proximity to workplaces, business as well as livelihood opportunities in general are considered as other advantages of living in Hlaing Thar Yar. Nevertheless, lack of electricity, noisy surroundings, flooding and fire breakouts, as well as the scarcity of and distance to water are seen as main disadvantages of Hlaing Thar Yar as settlement location. Additionally, social standing and outlook in life impacted by the stigma of living in an informal settlement further challenges the residents of the Hlaing Thar Yar’s informal settlements. Looking at livelihood, a major part of the people questioned work in factories, do casual laboring, are business owners or (mobile) vendors with an average income of Myanmar Kyat (MMK) 191,686 per month. While, females mainly work in garment factories with a regular income, males tend to work as daily laborers in the construction sector with a non-steady income, as availability of jobs are subject to seasonal changes. Marked by financial instability and the lack of savings, a majority of households are concerned about the potential costs for new housing in case of a resettlement. This illustrates the necessity to assess the people’s financial capacities prior resettlement strategies are developed.
Whereas, no significant evidence was detected when looking at overall demographic components of the households, it was found, the more people economically active per households, the smaller the willingness to resettle. A further correlation between willingness to move and the length of stay in Hlaing Thar Yar has been proven. With the increasing length residing in the Hlaing Thar Yar, the willingness to move decreases. Moreover, a clear and plausible influence of ownership, both of land or dwellings, on the negative disposition regarding resettlement has been identified. In terms of knowledge on the resettlement intention of the YRG, only 47% of households stated to be informed through informal channels such as friends, people in community, social media and other unofficial news sources. The study found that the willingness to move has apparently no connection to whether people were aware of such plans prior to the interview or not. Although many households have the desire to own their own land and house, 53% are reluctant to move, because of the good livelihood opportunities in their current location and the familiarity and peacefulness of the community. Nevertheless, tenure insecurity and lacking possibilities to resist in cases of evictions, has been identified as challenge for the respondents.
From a wider planning perspective, several preparation steps that need to be considered in advance. Firstly, it is emphasized on the need for assessment of livelihood opportunities in the new location. A second priority includes the motivation for savings to collect sufficient money for a resettlement. Thirdly, for households with children, a priority is to identify new schools and transportation to the education centers. Fourthly, it was mentioned that enough time needs to be allocated in order to be able to dismantle their current houses, to use the material to construct new dwellings in the new location.
Based on the findings and analysis a number of recommendations are made. It is interesting to see that the willingness to move decreases according to the length of time a household has lived in the area. It is recommended to take the length of settlement into account when planning resettlement and implementing the second phase of the project. Livelihood opportunities are a major driver behind people’s decision to resettle voluntarily, with chances increasing when economic opportunities are present in the new location. Cooperation with local employers must be part of any possible resettlement plan. It is necessary to assess land rights and ownership when planning the next phase, as land tenure is one of the main security issues for households in the settlements and many land owners have no documentation to prove their title. Lastly, special attention must be given to women’s needs and opinions when informing about possible resettlement, as females have a huge impact on decision-making in terms of where to settle. Social networks are also important, with a high number of households choosing Hlaing Thar Yar because of friends and relatives, one of the main advantages of living in the settlements. Any new place needs to consider these social structures when wanting to achieve voluntary resettlement.
1. INTRODUCTION
Based on preliminary mapping activities conducted by UN-Habitat in 2016, approximately 370,000 people (7% of Yangon’s population) live in informal settlements and resettlement areas, with several living in disaster prone areas such as river banks, drainage ways, along major and other roads, in proximity to industrial plots, in roadside ditches, swamps and creeks. Lacking land and dwelling tenure security, limited access to basic services as well as hazardous geographical locations are characteristics for these informal settlements, which affect especially, vulnerable groups such as children, women and the elderly.
UN-Habitat, aiming to providing safer and more inclusive human settlements for all people, is cooperating with the Yangon Regional Government (YRG), specifically the Chief Minister, in order to elaborate durable solutions for households living in informal settlements. UN-Habitat, supported through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) is implementing the Yangon Informal Settlements – Resettlement Programme (YIS-RP) with the goal to mitigate resettlement risks and to increase protection for households resettled from hazardous locations in Yangon’s informal settlement areas. In the scope of this program, UN-Habitat is providing technical leadership in the inception phase and is carrying out research, to this end UN-Habitat commissioned Myanmar Survey Research Co., Ltd. (MSR) to conduct a field study on the 20 most vulnerable settlements in Hlaing Thar Yar to assess the status quo of informal settlement on the one hand, and to shed light on the disposition of the local communities considering a possible resettlement on the other hand.
Hlaing Thar Yar Township is located in the western part of Yangon, Myanmar. It is one of the biggest townships in the country and it is also the most populated township. It comprises 20 wards and nine village tracts and shares borders with Htantabin Township in the north and west, Insein Township, Mayangon Township, and Hlaing Township in the east (across the Yangon River), and Twante Township in the south. In the late 1980s, the township became an industrial zone, and since 1993, it has been developed to a residential area as part of city expansion, mainly for housing squatters, who were resettled from the inner city by the military government. After Cyclone Nargis in 2012, the township experienced a jump in population due to an influx of internally displaced persons. Today, Hlaing Thar Yar has the highest number of informal settlements, in total 181, with approximately 24,865 households and an estimated population size of 124,325.
To properly plan and adequately finance the next phase of the Yangon Informal Settlement-Resettlement Programme, data on the willingness of persons affected to resettle, an understanding of the current situation, their motivations to stay in Hlaing Thar Yar as well as the residents’ challenges is required. With the help of an extensive household survey as well as key-informant-interviews, a comprehensive overview of the geographical, social, demographic and economic situation of the informal settlements in Hlaing Thar Yar is formed. The survey aims to understand and gain new insights by collection data on the history of the informal settlements, the current conditions of settlers and their viewpoints about a possible resettlement. It also creates the opportunity for local residents to voice their opinions and concerns, informing the design of the next phase incorporating a participatory approach.
