ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, an attempt was made to understand the association between neighbourhood environmental problems and human health while in this chapter an attempt has been made to identify vulnerable neighbourhoods of the city to address their problems and provide plausible suggestions. Vulnerability has arisen as a complex theme of research in environmental studies, and assessing vulnerability has become a real concern in developing countries. Vulnerability refers to exposure to risk and the inability to avoid or absorb potential harm. Most vulnerable individuals, classes and regions or places are those that are most likely to suffer from exposure, have the weakest capacity to respond and are least able to recover. The chapter has been divided into three sections. First section deals with socio-economic condition of the sampled households. In the second section, attempt has been made to identify vulnerable neighbourhoods of the city. The third section deals with major neighbourhood problems of the city, i.e. substandard housing, water supply, drainage and solid waste management, overcrowding, air and noise pollution as well as neighbourhood disorder and suggestions have been made to deal with these problems. Multi-criteria decision making using Analytic hierarchy process has been used to identify vulnerable neighbourhoods of the city. Total 14 major neighbourhood environmental problems of the city, i.e. irregular supply of water, water quality problem, open drains, poor cleaning of drains, waterlogging, inadequate waste collection, waste accumulation in neighbourhood, overcrowding, narrow streets, air pollution, noise pollution, substandard housing, neighbourhood disorder, unequal distribution of facilities have been used to identify environmentally vulnerable neighbourhoods of Azamgarh city. All the 14 decision factors were assigned weights by using analytical hierarchy process through pairwise comparison by creating a ratio matrix. Weighted linear combination technique has been used to categorise neighbourhoods in three categories, i.e. most vulnerable, moderately vulnerable and least vulnerable. It has been found that the low income neighbourhoods lie in most vulnerable category and environmental problems were at their worst level in them. Medium- and high-income neighbourhoods were in somewhat better condition. In the second section, an attempt was made to address all the major problems identified in the city, i.e. drainage and water logging, solid waste management, neighbourhood overcrowding, water supply and quality problem, air pollution, noise pollution, neighbourhood disorder and unequal distribution of amenities and facilities. Policy suggestions have been provided while considering existing schemes and policies running in the city.
