Mapping on Formation and Transformation of Informal Settlements in Yangon from Historical Viewpoint

Abstract:

Informal settlements generally emerge as a result of strong torrents of rural to urban migration, accompanied by the lack of ability of the governments to provide accommodation for migrated people. Nowadays, over 1 billion people are residing in informal settlements, with shortages in decent housings, sewages, waste disposal systems, and basic infrastructures, which are the main reasons for imposing plight on informal settlers, especially in least developed countries.

There is already much research being done on the causes of formation, and transformation of informal settlements, and policies making in improving conditions of informal settlements. However, these existing methods often deal mainly with the current problems of informal settlements using questionnaires, and secondary data sources. Usually, these methods fail to recognize the long-term history of informal settlements in local contexts, and depend mainly on questionnaires when dealing with informal settlements.

In this research, we try to map the distribution of informal settlements with the help of geospatial technologies (GIS, and Remote sensing), historical documents, questionnaires, and historical maps. We try to show the beginning of the emergence, and transformation of informal settlements chronologically over a hundred years, mid-19th century to early-21st century considering the mechanism behind formation, and influential factors responsible for the transformation of the settlements, from physical and non-physical views - urbanization, geography, topography, and land use policies changes between the governments of Myanmar.

Our results demonstrate the distribution of informal settlements, and interaction between informal settlements and social contexts chronologically. In this sense, this method gives a more holistic view of informal settlements both in their formation, and transformation. Moreover, this method can provide the government with a clear picture providing maps of informal settlements over years, and failures of successive governments in dealing with informal settlements which would help create plans for city development and upgrading strategies targeting sustainable urban development.