Multiple interests in urban land: disaster-induced land resettlement politics in Kampala

Abstract

One of the actions that many local authorities take in to reduce exposure of informal settlements to disaster risks and the impacts of climate change is to move people out of high-risk areas. This is usually enacted through resettlement, relocation or evictions. This article argues that local authorities recognizing and validating multiple interests in land offers an innovative advantage to cities in equitably responding to risks, and adapting to climate change. More specifically, we focus on how multiple interests in land in Kampala influenced processes associated with the resettlement of people within the context of trying to reduce exposure to disaster risks. In this instance, authorities seeking to resettle people were more inclined to negotiate than impose resettlement and these negotiations opened up the possibilities for more equitable outcomes to emerge, such as staying in their existing communities. The experience of Kampala’s authorities offers lessons for other cities confronting resettlement challenges.