ABSTRACT
Resettlement programmes to prevent exposure of communities to natural disasters are indispensable in protecting people’s lives and assets, and expanding national and local economies. However, poorly executed resettlement may disrupt the social, economic and cultural organization of the affected households, leading to various risks of impoverishment. Using the case of the City of Kigali, Rwanda, this chapter analyses the risks of impoverishment faced by relocated urban households and shows how these risks might be minimized through the systematic selection of suitable resettlement sites using a GIS-based multi-criteria technique. Our findings show that landlessness and joblessness are the most critical risks experienced by displaced urban households in Kigali. The location of a resettlement site is a major factor associated with these two risks. Based on their socio-economic characteristics, a suitable location that provides access to basic services and job opportunities for low-skilled people is fundamental to the well-being of resettled households. Our sites suitability analysis revealed that access to public transport raises the level of suitability of potential resettlement sites. Therefore, when resettled households cannot walk to livelihood opportunities, the provision of effective public transportation is necessary to minimize the impoverishment risks of the resettled households.
