Digitalization in Disaster Risk Reduction: The Use of Smartphones to Enhance the Safety of Informal Settlements in Iringa, Tanzania

Abstract

Housing in informal settlements often lacks construction techniques that adopt criteria of resilience to natural hazards. Smartphones are rapidly diffusing in economically developing countries. The aim of this study was to assess the current use of smartphones by the masons of the informal settlements of Iringa, Tanzania, and to identify pathways for improving their construction practices. Data were collected through a mixed method approach that includes in-depth interviews, surveys, and a focus group with masons. The results reveal that only a few masons received formal training, most of them have never interacted with a qualified engineer nor consulted trained professionals when needed. Most masons own a smartphone and they extensively use it to gather technical information from the web, transfer money through mobile payments, share images of construction details, and promote their work on social media. The broad use of smartphones shows potential for enhancing construction quality. This article presents a unique analysis of the use of smartphones in the construction of informal settlements in Tanzania, which could be extended to other countries. Based on the findings, new strategies are proposed to engage with local stakeholders and foster the exchange of technical knowledge for safer settlements via smartphones.

Using Multi-Stakeholder Causal Mapping to Explore Priorities for Infrastructure Resilience to Flooding

“…Other emerging topics include funding (9, 59) and cooperation (12,57). Finally, the presence of leadership is critical (18,60,63), especially if linked with a needed change of mindset and approach (19,20,21,50). The key message that emerges from this cluster is that keeping the community informed is important for stakeholders, and such communication is driven by leadership, and sustained by cooperation (among actors) and available funding (e.g.…”

“…The challenges associated with these differences are further complicated by the lack of sharing cross-organisational perspectives and interrelationship of the involved issues [15], too. Traditional activities to elicit information from stakeholders include ( [16][17][18][19]: (i) via surveys and questionnaires (an example is [20]; (ii) via interviews (an example is [21]; (iii) via structured workshops (an example is [22]; or via a combination of surveys, workshop and focus groups (an example is [23]. In addition [24], applied serious gaming principles to elicit information from experts in infrastructure resilience.…”