Characterising informal settlements in Lusaka

This project supports better planning for urban expansion and public service delivery in Zambia through satellite imagery-based analysis of informal settlements. Its outcomes will fill critical knowledge gaps on the nature of informal settlements in Lusaka.

The project is part of IGC Cities that Work's broader collaboration with policymakers and development partners in Zambia to support better urban policy through the use of spatial data, and will contribute to a number of global influencing initiatives to replicate this work in other cities going forward.

The project has four components:

1. Creation of a typology of informal settlements in Lusaka using neighbourhood characteristics and building types. The project will also attempt to map how informal settlements in Lusaka have expanded over the past two decades.
2. Provision of estimates of the number of people currently living in informal settlements in Lusaka and the population density.
3. Analysis of access to water and sanitation infrastructure in informal settlements.
4. The analysis produced in this project will be combined with cross-country evidence to provide policy support for the Ministry of Local Government and other partners.