This research examines the standards of construction and regulations in Zambia, in light of their effect on the attainment of the acclaimed international rights to adequate shelter for all and development of sustainable human settlements in an urbanising world (UNCHS, 2003).
As argued by Rafael Tuts (1996), that the prohibitively high building and planning standards are often considered as one of the main obstacles to the provision of low-cost housing in developing countries. He further stated that the more and more agencies and stakeholders advocate the relaxation of these standards; the major motivation is the anticipated initial cost reduction .
The statutes governing the development of infrastructure have a genesis from the British system and fundamentals; Zambia was a British colony until 1964. The principal law governing the development control is Chapter 283 of the Laws of Zambia; The Town and Country Planning Act.
As the population of the country grows, the number and size of squatter settlements correspondingly increase. Most of the houses in the squatter settlements are built using construction materials and methods that are not recognised by the statutes. These settlements lack basic infrastructure services such as generous access roads, piped water, sanitation and electricity. The plot lay-outs are usually irregular and of unsecure tenure.
The focus will be on examining the low and medium cost housing schemes implemented thus far and access to such housing over the years. The intervention of some civil society organisations to help provide affordable and decent shelter to the poor and disadvantaged people shall also be delved into. The methods of house production shall be evaluated to determine their performance and appropriateness and adequacy.
Focus shall also be on the construction methodologies and materials used in squatter settlements that have been in existence for over 30 years. The performance of such houses shall be evaluated to determine their suitability and affordability.
An attempt to evaluate the use of local materials in vernacular /traditional setting shall be done with a view of determining their performance and durability.
The study closes by looking at the land administration of the country and access to the basic infrastructure and social service as they impact on the quest for adequate shelter for all.
Table of Contents
1.1.1 Vancouver Declaration:
1.1.2 Istanbul Declaration on Human Settlement, 1996
1.2 Research Problem/Statement
2.0 COUNTRY PROFILE
2.1.2 Population
2.1.3 Politics and Administration
2.1.4 Economy
2.1.5 Poverty
2.1.6 Employment
2.2 Urbanisation in Zambia
2.2.1. Historic Perspective and Pre independence era
2.2.2 Post Independence era
2.3 Land Tenure.
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 What is Research?
3.2 Research Approach
3.3 The Research Process
3.3.1 Controlled
3.3.2 Rigorous
3.3.3 Systematic
3.3.4 Valid and verifiable
3.3.5 Empirical
3.3.6 Critical
3.4 Data Sources and Collection
3.5 Choice of Research Location
3.6 Limitation of Research
4.0 CONCEPTUAL AND THEORITCAL FRAMEWORK
4.1 Contextual Approach
4.2 Development
4.2.1 Capacity
4.2.2 Responsibility
4.2.3 Sustainability
4.2.4 Challenges
4.2.5 Opportunities
4.3 What is Housing?
4.4 Genesis of the Development Control
4.5 Planning for Housing Development in Post Independence Era
4.5.1 Transitional National Development Plan (1965-1966)
4.5.1.1 Housing and Town Planning
4.5.1.2 Outcomes of Plan
4.5.2 First National Development Plan (1966-1970)
4.5.2.1 High Density Housing
4.5.2.2 Loans for Self-help House Building
4.5.2.3 Unauthorised Settlements
4.5.2.4 Housing Subsidies
4.5.2.5 Town Planning
4.5.2.6 Civil Service Housing
4.5.2.7 Village Regrouping and Regional Planning
4.5.2.8 Outcomes of Plan
4.5.3 Second National Development Plan (1972-1976)
4.5.3.1 Home Ownership
4.5.3.2 Serviced Plots and Unauthorised Settlements
4.5.3.3 Outcomes of Plan
4.5.4 Third National Development Plan (1979-1983)
4.5.4.1 Outcomes of plan
4.5.5 Fourth National Development Plan (1989-1993)
4.5.5.1 Outcomes of plan
4.6 Overall Performance of the National Development Plans
4.7 National Housing Authority
4.8 Zambia National Building Society
4.9 Privatisation of Housing
PARADIGM CHANGE TOWARDS INFORMAL HOUSING STOCK
5.1 Recognition of Informal housing as a social and economic asset
5.2 Urban Upgrading of unplanned Settlements
5.3 Site and Service Scheme
5.4 Core Housing Scheme
5.5 Implementation of Programme
5.6 The Project Scope
5.6.1 Squatter Upgrading
5.6.2 Site and Services
5.6.3 Building Materials Loans
5.6.4 Primary Infrastructure
5.6.5 Community Facilities
5.6.6 Technical Assistance
5.6.7 Land
5.7 Repositioning of project administration
5.7.1 The Housing Project Unit
5.7.2 The World Bank
5.7.3 The Government
5.8 Standards of Construction for the Project
5.9 Cost recovery for the Programme
5.10 Lessons learnt
5.11 Project realisation
6.0 COST APPRAISAL AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
6.1 Construction Cost and Selling Price
6.2 Development Control
6.3 Housing Production and Constraints
6.3.1 Formal or Conventional
6.3.2 Unconventional or Informal
6.4 Challenges to Housing Development in Zambia
6.4.1 Population
6.4.2 Existing housing situation and rate of supply
6.4.3 Access to land and land tenure
6.4.4 Infrastructure
6.4.5 Legislation and housing
6.4.6 Housing standards
6.4.7 Building materials
6.4.8 Housing finance
6.4.9 Institutional Housing
6.4.10 Informal housing
6.4.11Housing for the Disadvantaged
6.4.12 Rural housing
6.5 Award Winning Policy
HOUSING FINANCE AND ECONOMICS
7.1 Financing Housing Acquisition
7.2 Affordability
7.3 Housing Financial Sector in Zambia
7.3.1 Historical evolvement of the housing finance
7.2.2 Challenges in housing finance
7.2.3 Income distribution in Zambia
EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS AND APPROACHES TO COST REDUCTION
8.1 Savings and Savings Ratio
8.2 Model and Simulation
8.3 The Saving Model
8.4 The Loan Repayment Model
8.5 Feasible Approaches towards Cost Reduction
8.6 Vernacular and Traditional materials and construction methodologies
8.6.2 Clay bricks
8.6.3 Timber and pole
8.7 Alternative Building Materials versus Construction Cost
8.8 Building maintenance
8.9 The benefits of local materials Development and utilisation
8.10 Revision of building regulations and standards
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
9.1 What next for Housing the Poor.
9.2 Looking Back at the Problem
9.3 Recommendations
Research Goal and Topics
This research evaluates the current construction standards and housing regulations in Zambia to determine their impact on the accessibility of decent shelter for the low-income population. The central research question explores whether the relaxation of existing construction standards can serve as a viable pathway to improve living conditions by reducing production costs and facilitating affordable housing provision.
- Analysis of colonial-era building standards and their relevance in modern Zambia.
- Evaluation of housing policies and their effectiveness in addressing the national housing deficit.
- Empirical assessment of construction methodologies used in informal and squatter settlements.
- Comparative study of conventional vs. alternative building materials for cost reduction.
- Investigation of land tenure systems and their impact on housing accessibility for the poor.
Excerpt from the Book
8.6 Vernacular and Traditional materials and construction methodologies
The fundamental principles of folk or vernacular design methods are embodied in tradition. In order to understand the folk design method one must understand how architectural forms are generated within a system of thought dominated by tradition. Vernacular architecture is found in all the world's cultures; ancient and modern, and, most importantly, it continues throughout the world today in various relationships to modern world culture certainly not only the most primitive relationship (Hubka,1979). It is important to note that most of the materials used in vernacular architecture are locally available and usually environmentally friendly. They have been tested and tried over long periods of time; they have survived. In Zambia, there is a wide range of materials that have been used since time immemorial. The most popular ones are earth, poles, thatch, reeds and sisal fibre. There are still standing to this day, a large proportion of houses both in the urban and rural setup which were built using these traditional materials.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE: Provides an introduction to the research, establishing shelter as a basic human right and outlining the international declarations and research problem concerning Zambia's housing deficit.
CHAPTER TWO: Details the background and context of the study, including Zambia's geographical location, population trends, socio-political history, and economic indicators.
CHAPTER THREE: Explains the research methodology, covering the qualitative and quantitative research approaches, data sources, and the rationale behind the study's location choice.
CHAPTER FOUR: Presents the conceptual and theoretical framework, examining housing definitions, development policies since independence, and the role of the National Housing Authority.
CHAPTER FIVE: Discusses the paradigm shift towards informal housing stock, evaluating squatter upgrading programs and site and service schemes as alternatives to demolition.
CHAPTER SIX: Offers a cost appraisal of housing development, analyzing constraints in the formal and informal sectors and the challenges posed by rigid legislation.
CHAPTER SEVEN: Explores housing finance and economics, focusing on accessibility, affordability, and the historical evolvement of the housing financial sector in Zambia.
CHAPTER EIGHT: Provides empirical analysis and approaches to cost reduction, including simulations of mortgage repayments and the evaluation of alternative building materials.
CHAPTER NINE: Concludes the research with summaries of findings and provides specific policy recommendations to improve housing delivery for low-income populations.
Keywords
Zambia, housing standards, construction costs, informal settlements, squatter upgrading, low-cost housing, housing deficit, building regulations, land tenure, sustainable human settlements, shelter, affordability, mortgage, vernacular architecture, urban development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental research problem addressed in this work?
The work addresses the massive housing deficit in Zambia, arguing that rigid and inherited colonial-era construction standards are a primary barrier preventing low-income earners from accessing affordable, decent shelter.
What are the core thematic areas of the research?
The core themes include the impact of building regulations on housing costs, the role of land tenure in housing accessibility, the historical evolution of national housing policies, and the viability of alternative construction materials for the poor.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The primary objective is to evaluate whether relaxing current restrictive construction and planning standards can reduce housing production costs and thereby increase the "official" housing stock available to the urban poor.
Which scientific methodology is employed in this study?
The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative analysis of policy documents, acts of parliament, and literature with quantitative simulation models to analyze construction costs, savings, and mortgage repayment scenarios.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body examines the historical and political context of urbanization in Zambia, the evolution of national development plans, the technical performance of informal housing, and empirical economic simulations for different household types.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include Zambia, housing deficit, construction standards, informal settlements, affordable housing, mortgage, land tenure, and vernacular building materials.
How does the author define the "housing deficit" in the Zambian context?
The author contextualizes the housing deficit as a manifestation of poverty and low consumption capacity rather than just a supply problem, noting that "deficit" often refers to houses that do not meet arbitrarily high, state-prescribed standards.
What role does the informal sector play in the author's analysis?
The informal sector is recognized as an "inevitable vacuum filler" for the majority of the urban population. The author emphasizes that squatter settlements represent social and financial assets that should be upgraded rather than demolished.
- Citar trabajo
- Chance Kaonga (Autor), 2012, Construction standards and access to decent shelter, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/288073
