Disasters, vulnerability and inadequate housing in Nigeria: a viable strategic framework

Inadequate housing has a significant impact on the livelihoods of poor people in Nigeria. It affects their economic, political, and social development, as well as providing poor resistance to natural and human induced hazards. More vulnerability reduction interventions are needed to tackle the devastating impact of climate change on the urban poor who are highly vulnerable as a result of their unplanned environmental conditions, low-quality shelter and poor infrastructural systems. This paper aims to develop a viable strategic framework specifically address the impact and vulnerability of dwellers of the substandard housing so as to enhance the creation of resilient communities and significantly improve their living conditions. It provides a broad understanding of dynamics and interrelationship between inadequate housing, disasters, vulnerability and urban poverty, as well as the causes and effects of inadequate housing on its inhabitants. It is hoped that the framework will serve as a guide for mitigating disaster, housing inadequacy and thereby improving the livelihoods of the urban poor