Urbanization, Slums and Deprivation: Definitions, dimensions and public policy in India

It is well known that urban slums represent some of the most hazardous and unhealthy living conditions in which human populations reside today. As urban populations swell globally, accurate and up to date information on the location and distribution of the urban poor is essential for effective policymaking. However, in India, as in many other rapidly urbanizing low and middle income countries, not all slum dwellers are poor and not all poor are slum dwellers. This paper explores the sensitivity and specificity of two slum designations – survey enumerators’ and Census – in eight Indian cities using data from the third National Family and Health Survey. The gold standard of comparison is the respondents’ actual reporting of their toilet facilities, water source, housing materials, crowding and security of tenure. Preliminary analyses indicate that neither survey nor census slum designation well identify urban residents in need of services. Slum designation may be uninformative because it becomes quickly obsolete in a rapidly changing urban area, or because it puts too much of a focus on legality, among other reasons. This paper is intended to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the heterogeneity of urban India and to inform more targeted health and development policies on behalf of the urban poor.