Rapid Assessment of Squatting Report (NOTE: LARGE FILE)

Environmental and Natural Hazards
The survey revealed as indicated in Figure 15 that squatter settlements are exposed to a variety of
environmental hazards, some related to the physical context of the site while others are induced
by the practices evident within the settlements.
Figure 15
Bush fires and landslides combine to account for hazards affecting twenty eight percent (28%) of
settlements and these are related to location. Solid waste disposal alone is dominant for twenty
six percent (26%) of settlements while water pollution also poses a concern. The remaining
percentages did not highlight the particular hazard but un-coded responses pointed to flooding as
potential hazards for a number of settlements.
Map 7 shows that the three (3) main natural hazards to which squatter communities are
particularly vulnerable are flooding, landslides and storm surges. Settlements located on the
banks of gullies and channels of rivers, notably along the Hope River are at constant risk of
being serious impacted by flooding from inland storm water sources. Squatter areas along the
South Coast, particularly sections of Bull Bay, Old Harbour Bay and Rocky Point, Clarendon are
at constant risk of been affected by a combination of storm surges and general coastal flooding
associated with poor or non-existent drainage infrastructure. Some squatter areas in St. Andrew
and St. Mary as indicated by Maps 7 and 8 are particularly vulnerable to landslides.
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