Fire spread analysis for the 2017 Imizamo Yethu informal settlement conflagration in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 101146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Kahanji ◽  
Richard S. Walls ◽  
Antonio Cicione
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Spread Analysis

CHALLENGES TO BUILDING AUTHENTIC PARTNERSHIPS: LESSONS FROM BHAMBAYI, KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanusha Raniga ◽  
Barbara Simpson ◽  
Ntokozo Mthembu
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Mutual Trust ◽  
Open Communication ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Qualitative Phase

In contemporary South Africa, partnerships between service providers in government, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and community based organisations have been identified as a means to strengthen communities and the sustainability of social services. However, the unequal power relations that exists between and within these organisations often leads to fragmentation, duplication, and lack of coordination of social services. Using Fowler’s (1998) conceptualisation of authentic partnerships, this qualitative phase of a larger study explored the challenges of building authentic partnerships in Bhambayi, a predominantly informal settlement in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Individual interviews and a focus group held with nine service providers revealed that intraorganisational challenges, cross-boundary and inter-organisational relations as well as political influences were obstacles to the development of authentic partnerships. The article suggests that open communication, clarity of roles and mutual trust between service providers is vital.

scholarly journals Determination of Critical Separation Distance Between Dwellings in Informal Settlements Fire

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Wang ◽  
Lesley Gibson ◽  
Mohamed Beshir ◽  
David Rush
Keyword(s):  
Heat Flux ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Informal Settlements ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Separation Distance ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
Critical Distance ◽  
Fire Disaster ◽  
Critical Separation

AbstractApproximately one billion people across the globe are living in informal settlements with a large potential fire risk. Due to the high dwelling density, a single informal settlement dwelling fire may result in a very serious fire disaster leaving thousands of people homeless. In this work, a simple physics-based theoretical model was employed to assess the critical fire separation distance between dwellings. The heat flux and ejected flame length were obtained from a full-scale dwelling tests with ISO 9705 dimension (3.6 m × 2.4 m × 2.4 m) to estimate the radiation decay coefficient of the radiation heat flux away from the open door. The ignition potential of combustible materials in adjacent dwellings are analyzed based on the critical heat flux from cone calorimeter tests. To verify the critical distance in real informal settlement fire, a parallel method using aerial photography within geographic information systems (GIS), was employed to determine the critical separation distances in four real informal settlement fires of 2014–2015 in Masiphumelele, Cape Town, South Africa. The fire-spread distances were obtained as well through the real fires. The probabilistic analysis was conducted by Weibull distribution and logistic regression, and the corresponding separation distances were given with different fire spread probabilities. From the experiments with the assumption of no interventions and open doors and windows, it was established that the heat flux would decay from around 36 kW/m2 within a distance of 1.0 m to a value smaller than 5 kW/m2 at a distance of 4.0 m. Both experiments and GIS results agree well and suggest the ignition probabilities at distances of 1.0 m, 2.0 m and 3.0 m are 97%, 52% and 5% respectively. While wind is not explicitly considered in the work, it is implicit within the GIS analyses of fire spread risk, therefore, it is reasonable to say that there is a relatively low fire spread risk at distances greater than 3 m. The distance of 1.0 m in GIS is verified to well and conservatively predict the fire spread risk in the informal settlements.

scholarly journals Prevalence of zinc deficiency among primary school children in a poor peri-urban informal settlement in South Africa

2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Folake O. Samuel ◽  
Abdulkadir A. Egal ◽  
Wilna H. Oldewage-Theron ◽  
Carin E. Napier ◽  
Christine S. Venter
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Zinc Deficiency ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Serum Zinc ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
World Health ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Mean

This cross-sectional study assessed the risk of zinc deficiency in randomly selected children, aged between 7 and 11 years, living in a poor, peri-urban informal settlement in South Africa. Dietary intake of 149 respondents was evaluated by 24-hour recall and quantitative food frequency questionnaires. Anthropometric and biochemical indices of a subset of 113 were determined. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and Pearson correlations were computed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 14.0. Anthropometric data were analysed using the World Health Organization Anthro plus version 1.0.2 statistical software. Dietary data were analysed with FoodFinder® version 3. The mean age of the children was 9.0±1.1 years. Few zinc-rich sources appeared in the diet that was predominantly plant-based. Mean dietary zinc intake was 4.6±2.2 mg/day. The mean value of serum zinc was 66.4±21.5 µg/dL, with 46% of the children having values less than the 70 µg/dL cut-off. The findings indicate a high risk of zinc deficiency and suboptimal zinc status for the majority of this study population of children, possibly as a result of low consumption of food sources with high bioavailability of zinc, which invariably is a direct consequence of poverty and food insecurity.OpsommingDie doel van hierdie dwarsdeursnitstudie was die bepaling van die risiko van ’n sinktekort in ’n ewekansige steekproef van 7 tot 11 jaar-oue kinders, woonagtig in ’n arm, voorstedelike informele woonbuurt in Suid Afrika. Dieetinnames van 149 respondente is geëvalueer deur 24-uur herroep en kwantitatiewe voedselfrekwensie vraelyste. Antropometriese en biochemiese indikatore van ’n kleiner steekproef van 113 is ook bepaal. Beskrywende statistiek, analise van variansie en Pearsonkorrelasies is bepaal deur die Statistical Package for Social Sciences, uitgawe 14.0. Antropometriese data is geanaliseer deur die statistiese program, Anthro plus, uitgawe 1.0.2, van die Wêreld Gesondheid Organisasie. Dieetdata is met behulp van FoodFinder® uitgawe 3 geanaliseer. Die gemiddelde ouderdom van die kinders was 9.0±1.1 jaar. Min sinkryke voedselbronne is in die hoofsaaklik plantryke dieet waargeneem. Die gemiddelde sinkinname was 4.6±2.2 mg/dag en die gemiddelde serumsinkwaarde was 66.4±21.5 µg/dL, met 46% van die kinders se waardes onder die 70 µg/dL afsnypunt. Die bevindings dui op ’n hoë risiko vir sinktekort en suboptimale sinkstatus vir die meerderheid van hierdie kinders, moontlik as gevolg van die swak inname van voedselbronne met hoë biobeskikbare sink, wat gewoonlik ’n direkte gevolg van armoede en huishoudelike voedsel insekuriteit is.

scholarly journals A preliminary investigation to develop a semi-probabilistic model of informal settlement fire spread using B-RISK

2020 ◽  
pp. 103115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Cicione ◽  
Colleen Wade ◽  
Michael Spearpoint ◽  
Lesley Gibson ◽  
Richard Walls ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Probabilistic Model ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Fire Spread

scholarly journals Informal Settlement Upgrading in South Africa: A Preliminary Regenerative Perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2685
Author(s):  
Anita Venter ◽  
Lochner Marais ◽  
Heidi Morgan
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Self Help ◽  
Regenerative Development ◽  
Social Empowerment ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Social Constructivist Approach

Informal settlement upgrading is commonly practised worldwide, but often in technical ways, paying little attention to the physical environment. Regenerative development provides an ecological response and emphasises human development concerns. In this paper, we adopt a social constructivist approach to investigating the meaning of construction processes and the value of regenerative development in an informal upgrading process in South Africa. We used data from 18 projects and five in-depth interviews. Our findings show how waste can be used in this process, and that regenerative development delivers houses that are better insulated and avoid some of the risks associated with houses constructed by informal settlers. The value of the project lies in the acceptance of eco-building and the development of an attachment to the physical environment. Regenerative development facilitates self-help, which in turn supports the user value of these houses. We found considerable human development linked to regenerative development. Our findings show that, in addition to providing shelter, regenerative development encourages artistry and imagination, gets members of the community to work together, promotes social empowerment, improves physical and mental health, and fosters enjoyment.

Laboratory fire spread analysis using visual and infrared images

2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ramiro Martínez-de Dios ◽  
Jorge C. André ◽  
João C. Gonçalves ◽  
Begoña Ch. Arrue ◽  
Aníbal Ollero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graphical Model ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Rate Of Spread ◽  
Virtual View ◽  
Fire Front ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Front Shape ◽  
Processing Techniques ◽  
Spread Analysis ◽  
Base Width

This paper presents an experimental method using computer-based image processing techniques of visual and infrared movies of a propagating fire front, taken from one or more cameras, to supply the time evolutions of the fire front shape and position, flame inclination angle, height, and base width. As secondary outputs, it also provides the fire front rate of spread and a 3D graphical model of the fire front that can be rendered from any virtual view. The method is automatic and non-intrusive, has space–time resolution close to continuum and can be run in real-time or deferred modes. It is demonstrated in simple laboratory experiments in beds of pine needles set upon an inclinable burn table, with point and linear ignitions, but can be extended to open field situations.

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