Vulnerability and Resilience of Urban Informal Sector to Climate-Induced Flooding: A Case Study of Makoko

Abstract

Urban informal sector play a significant role in the sustenance of livelihoods especially in rapidly growing cities, yet they are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, especially climate-induced flooding. This paper examines the vulnerability and resilience of the informal economic players in Makoko. Makoko is a low-income coastal area in Lagos, Nigeria. The community is built on partially on stilts over the Lagos Lagoon, and this seen in the complex intersection of environmental exposure, informal urbanization, and socioeconomic precarity. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, which is the combination of field surveys, in-depth interviews and direct observation. The study identifies the major drivers of vulnerability, these includes inadequate infrastructure, poor housing conditions, and lack of formal disaster support mechanisms. Despite these challenges, the paper provides localised resiliencies strategies like elevated housing designs, the use of canoes for mobility, strong social networks, and community-based adaptation practices. The findings shows that there is need for inclusive climate adaptation planning that sees the importance of and supports adaptive capacities of informal communities. It is important that to ensure long-term sustainability of such vulnerable urban sectors there is need to strengthen institutional engagement, improving infrastructure, and integrating local knowledge into urban resilience strategies.