Who Is Most at Risk of Becoming a Natural Disaster Victim? Urban Storm Water Runoff and Flood Risks in the Ouagadougou HDSS (Burkina Faso)

Stéphanie Dos Santos, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) and Institut Superieur des Sciences de la Population (ISSP)
Jean-Paul Peumi, Université de Montréal
Aude Nikiéma, Institut National des Sciences de la Société

Even though previous reports have already highlighted evidence of a relationship between exposure to natural disasters and urban poverty, the complex processes underlying this association still remain poorly studied in West Africa, with little individual empirical data. The objective of this communication is to analyze factors associated with the status of “natural disaster victim” in Ouagadougou, the capital-city of Burkina Faso. On September 1st, 2009, this city experienced torrential rainfall leading to immense water runoffs and floods. Over 150,000 people were severely affected and 50,000 completely lost their homes. It is these people that this study undertakes to examine, defining here “natural disaster victim” as a household that completely lost their home. Modeling data from the Ouagadougou Health and Demographic Surveillance System with logistic regressions, the preliminary results suggest that the migrant status and gender play an interesting role in addition to the poverty index and level of education.