VULNERABILITY OF THE URBAN POOR
â–
45
BOX 2.7
Water Scarcity in Mexico City Despite major infrastructural investments to funnel water resources toward industrial and population centers, water scarcity remains in places such as Mexico City (Mumme and Lybecker 2002, 313). In these areas, overexploitation of ground water has led to land subsidence, salinization, and pollution of ground water (Peritore,1999). Uneven subsidence changes the gradients of water delivery, drainage, and sewage networks, which further contaminates ground and surface water (Peritore, 147). Leaky and insufficient water supply and drainage infrastructure are complicated by the subsidence of Mexico City at a rate of 45 centimeters a year. It is estimated that 77 percent of Mexican rivers are polluted to the point that they pose a risk to human health (Mumme and Lybecker, 312). Treatment is required for most Mexican surface water before it is considered potable, and fecal contamination is considered responsible for gastrointestinal illness in one-third of the Mexican population (Peritore, 147). Source: Leon et al. 2010.
in housing that floods regularly due to heavy rainfall and clogged drains; this population is highly exposed to water-borne diseases and may be increasingly so as climate change advances (ADB 2008). In Jakarta, a city highly vulnerable to sea-level rise, problems of public health related to poor drainage and standing water are severe. A study in informal settlements in the northern part of the city reported diarrheal incidence at 342 episodes per 1,000 people, and 43 percent of children under five were infected with at least one type of intestinal worms (Harpham, Garner, and Surjadi 1990). With increases in flooding due to climate change as discussed in Chapter 1, proper drainage becomes increasingly important. Policy makers and planners can minimize the consequences of flooding through structural, social, economic, and administrative measures taken now. Storm-water drainage overlaps with other services, such as solid-waste disposal and Integrated Urban Water Management. Additionally, drainage can benefit from sustainable and natural drainage systems. Solid Waste
In many poor urban areas, solid-waste management presents huge challenges. While the urban poor may generate less waste than their more affluent neighbors,