Solution

Fire Protection in Slums

This solution addresses Fire-vulnerable living structures in Dhaka for urban slum dwellers

Problem Description

Slums are often configured in ways that make them prone to serious fires. Flammable materials like bamboo and timber are the primary composition of buildings. Poorly monitored electrical and heat sources cause fires. Densely packed structures accelerate the spreading and impact of these fires. Ill-conceived fire escape and treatment plans further maximize the negative impact of these fires.

Building Blocks

Story

This solution is carried out by a team of development practitioners working in the Urban Development Program at BRAC. It was originally created as part of an OpenIDEO-Amplify challenge about increasing urban resilience in light in climate change. The solution was selected as one of the finalists for this challenge and is in the process of refining methodology via OpenIDEOs open-sourced feedback system. Amplify will fund BRAC UDP up to 800,000 USD for a 12 months project.

The solution is centered around the approach of building community capacity as a means to increase fire risk mitigation. This differs from the traditional approach of fire fighting which gravitates towards placing ownership in government organizations to generate response only after a fire has already broken out.

Photos

Resources

Amplify Prototype Feedback
Amplify User Experience Map
OpenIDEO Idea Page
Detailed information on solution including valuable feedback in the comment section below

Contributed By

Kazi Nazrul Fattah, BRAC Urban Development Programme

Solution Stage

One of the 7 stages of an innovation. Learn more

STAGE	SPECIALIST SKILLS REQUIRED	EXAMPLE ACTIVITIES	RISK LEVEL AND HANDLING	FINANCE REQUIRED	KINDS OF EVIDENCE GENERATED	GOAL
Making the case4	Business development and evaluation	Market sizing, development and testing Business case analysis Identifying cashable savings	Prepare to adapt approach, based on evaluation results and user feedback MEDIUM	Grant funding or funding out of investment MEDIUM	A stronger case with cost and benefit projections developed through practical trials and experiments, involving potential users	Clarity about what warrants implementation and funding

Submitted By

Steve Wright