Livelihood vulnerability assessment of slum dwellers in Rajshahi, Bangladesh: Capital indices-based approach

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has tremendously changed the livelihoods of slum dwellers due to the sudden loss of occupations and this situation increased their vulnerability. The objective of this paper was to assess the slum dwellers’ livelihood vulnerability by implementing LVI with reference to five livelihood capitals which comprise 27 sub-components. The RCC slum area was deliberately selected as the study area and it is one that is categorized into inner, middle and outer zones based on distance from the CBD. In total, 361 households were selected through simple random sampling from twelve slum areas with a 95% precision level. Primary data were gathered from the three stated slum zones using semi-structured questionnaires that investigated health, knowledge and skills, leadership potential, demographic profile, participation and connection, housing and sanitation, income and finance, total land and water as major components to assess LVI. Results revealed that the outer slum zone was the most vulnerable (0.697) based on overall LVI because financial and physical capital vulnerability were found to be higher. As well, LVI reported that inner (0.560) and middle (0.660) slum zones were categorized as moderate. The study also found that the slums located near the CBD were found to be less vulnerable because they managed to receive basic needs from relief efforts during the pandemic. Inner slum zone dwellers’ human capital (health, knowledge and skills, leadership potential) vulnerability proved to be lower than in the middle and the outer zones. Social capital (demographic profile and participation and connection) vulnerability of the inner zone was better than the other two zones. Overall, less access to own/agricultural land or grazing land and water facilities in slum zones was reported in natural capital vulnerability. Radar diagrams showed all livelihood capitals vulnerability of the outer zone were to be higher than the inner zone except for natural capital. Finally, the central government should devise appropriate guidelines to reduce livelihood vulnerability which hugely compromises the lives and livelihoods of slum dwellers.