Effects of flood disasters on vulnerable residents in informal settlements in South Africa

South African local governments are trusted with the responsibility to provide basic services to their communities and to ensure that communities live in a safe and healthy environment. However, most South African townships are built in flood-prone areas, which poses a threat to the community’s safety. Most township residents are therefore vulnerable to flood risk due to multiple factors that include geographical setting and other conditions that existed before the disasters occurred. Economic status, political conditions, cultural norms, and societal networks are some of the factors that can lead to the vulnerability of township residents. The paper presents local government approaches to managing disaster risk incidents within the constraints of the geographic realities of most townships in South Africa. This paper found that disaster management, relief structures, and early warning systems are not sustainable because they are reactive in nature. The researcher recommends proactive interventions to prevent flood disaster incidents in most townships in South Africa.