Informal settlements and community vulnerability: a multiscale strategy to improve local resilience through waste upcycling

Informal settlements and informal buildings are a common practice in many Developing Countries: in Ecuador, for instance, more than 70% of constructions are informal. This has implications that often affect the quality of life... [ view full abstract ]

Informal settlements and informal buildings are a common practice in many Developing Countries: in Ecuador, for instance, more than 70% of constructions are informal. This has implications that often affect the quality of life and the level of resilience of local communities, especially those with a population characterized by high social vulnerability.

This research project is an attempt to contribute in improving the resilience of informal settlements, by introducing new practices and technical solutions in the Ecuadorian informal construction sector by using end-of-life tires (ELTs). ELTs are a type of waste that is only partially recycled or reused in Ecuador, despite a national scheme (an Extended Product Responsibility policy) that has been put in place to this extent. Furthermore, ELTs are potentially an available and cheap construction material, which have mechanical properties that could in theory be successfully used in informal settlements to reduce the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes, landslides and other hydrogeological phenomena. As such, through a more extensive use ofELTs as a raw construction material, the project aims to decrease the physical vulnerability of informal settlements in Ecuador. Additionally, by converting ELTs into a substitute building material, this kind of waste can be incorporated into a value chain with potential beneficial opportunities for micro-businesses in marginalized urban communities.

The strategy proposed in the project is a mix of bottom-up and top-down approaches. The research team is working with both local communities and national policymakers to find a multiscale scheme to effectively employing ELTs in the informal construction sector in Ecuador. In order to develop local solutions, two case studies have been selected. The first is an urban area of Quito, while the second is a rural area in the northern coastal region of Ecuador, which was affected gravely by the earthquake of April 16^th 2016 and is in the process of reconstructing demolished buildings and infrastructure. To date, the fieldwork with local communities and informal sector builders in the coastal region has highlighted a great potential: resilient construction techniques with ELTs tailored for the informal sector were successfully introduced and disseminated throughout the area. Simultaneously, at national level, actively engaging policymakers and the other stakeholders involved in ELTs management has enabled a potential policy framework to be identified, where the innovative use of ELTs for informal construction initiatives could be incorporated into the national recovery system.