Around 1.1 billion people live in slums and other informal settlements worldwide. Habitat for Humanity estimates that by 2030, one in four people will live in an informal settlement.
The organization shows the cities in the world today that have the most significant population of informal settlers:
- Orangi Town in Karachi (Pakistan): 2,400,000
- Neza (Mexico): 1,200,000
- Dharavi in Mumbai (India): 1,000,000
- Kibera in Nairobi (Kenya): 700,000
- Khayelitsha in Cape Town (South Africa): 400,000
A 2024 study shows that informal settlements in developing countries face climatic risks such as floods, temperature changes, storms, sea-level rise, drought, and rainfall. Their primary vulnerabilities include poor housing conditions, health risks, a lack of essential services, inadequate sanitation, inadequate hygiene, and limited access to water.
The study finds that the combination of vulnerabilities and climate risks creates considerable direct and indirect threats to informal settlements and highlights the critical need for climate adaptation strategies in informal settlements to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Residents of informal settlements also lack security of tenure or land rights and live under the constant threat of eviction.
An unfortunate example of informal settlements’ high risk of natural disasters because of their substandard housing built in flood, fire, and landslide-prone areas was demonstrated in the informal settlement’s vulnerability to natural disasters in Sierra Leone. A tragic landslide in 2017 claimed the lives of more than 1000 people living in informal settlements.
Cities Alliance is a global partnership that fights urban poverty and supports cities in delivering sustainable development. To manage its activities, the Cities Alliance operates a multi-donor fund with the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as host and trustee.
In partnership with its member Slum Dwellers International (SDI) and with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), Cities Alliance has developed a multi-phase program to support civil society organizations working in informal settlements in 16 countries.
Cities Alliance’s three-phase program
Phase 1, implemented between 2020 and 2021, supported civil society groups in responding to the pandemic’s social, economic, and health impacts in informal settlements.
The program was implemented in 16 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to enhance the overall resilience of slum organizations and communities during the crisis and strengthen their capacity and systems for preparedness in the face of other emergencies.
Phase 2, implemented between 2022 and 2024, supported communities in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and building resilient environments. The two-year program builds on the achievements of Phase I and is implemented in 16 countries across the same regions covered in the previous phase.
Phase 3 is currently being implemented. It supports a locally led climate adaptation initiative in informal settlements, which improves services and increases communities’ resilience to withstand future shocks and stresses of urban informal living. It is also carried out in 16 countries as in the previous phases.
These programs, initiated by the Cities Alliance, published a series of six briefs that showcase community-led initiatives of Slum Dwellers International (SDI) in informal settlements in the global south countries. By locally leading, designing, and implementing solutions themselves, SDI federations are redefining what sustainable, resilient urban development can look like
Brief 1 highlights the crucial role of grassroots leadership in addressing complex urban challenges. It highlights community-driven efforts to strengthen local leadership, restore social safety nets, and build capacity to address immediate shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term climate-related stresses.
These initiatives are vital for promoting sustainable urban resilience. Key themes include reviving community savings schemes, catalyzing new livelihood strategies, encouraging health awareness, and actively supporting the inclusion of youth and women in leadership roles to ensure diverse representation and long-term community empowerment.
Brief 2 explores how community-based organizations in informal settlements engage with city governments to gain recognition and secure crucial support for their initiatives. These efforts focus on community advocacy, collaborative data sharing, and participatory planning processes, which significantly influence urban policies aimed at upgrading slums and improving service provision.
Brief 3 highlights community-driven infrastructure initiatives vital for enhancing climate adaptation in informal settlements. It focuses on practical, locally led solutions that improve access to essential services such as water, sanitation, energy, and waste management while simultaneously building long-term climate resilience and addressing the specific needs of these vulnerable communities.
Brief 4 underscores the significant efforts to integrate gender equality and youth empowerment into community-led initiatives within informal settlements.
It emphasizes the importance of including women and young people in leadership, decision-making processes, and livelihood activities to foster a more inclusive and equitable approach to urban development.
Brief 5 focuses on the complexity and tensions in implementing community-led initiatives within informal settlements, where political, social, and economic instability often intensifies existing vulnerabilities.
Rapid urbanization, fueled by climate, conflict, economics, and hardship-driven migration, will continue to pressure cities struggling to absorb incoming populations. This is particularly true in the Global South, where urban informality prevails. Emerging and developing countries often lack the policies and funding to adequately address the increasing number of informal settlements.
Hence, global partnership programs and initiatives aimed at improving the lives, livelihoods, and well-being of informal settlers in cities in the global south are critical and have proven effective in alleviating their substandard living conditions.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), addressing the housing problems in informal settlements presents an opportunity. It will economically impact the country, boosting its GDP by up to 10.5%. Improving the housing conditions in informal settlements will also add an average of 2.4 years to residents’ lives, and the economic and human development gains from the improved housing would often exceed the costs.
A WRI research estimated that ensuring residents access to water, sanitation, and other key infrastructure would require low- and middle-income countries to spend between 2% and 8% of their GDP.
Government collaboration with international and local organizations can provide sustainable solutions for residents of informal settlements. These solutions may involve formalizing land ownership or relocating individuals to safer areas if their conditions become increasingly hazardous. Such efforts aim to enhance living standards while addressing the long-term security of tenure and overall well-being.
Advocating for the needs of informal settlements will facilitate their integration into urban development plans. Additionally, implementing programs focused on livelihood development, income generation, and skills training can create opportunities that improve their socio-economic status and enable residents to pursue better housing options.
Sources:
Informal settlements are growing worldwide — here’s what we need to do. (2023, August 22). World Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/08/informal-settlements-are-growing-heres-how-we-provide-everyone-a/
The World’s Largest Slums: Dharavi, Kibera, Khayelitsha & Neza. (2017). Habitat for Humanity. Retrieved from https://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk/blog/2017/12/the-worlds-largest-slums-dharavi-kibera-khayelitsha-neza/
Building Resilience in Informal Settlements. (n.d.). Cities Alliance. Retrieved from https://www.citiesalliance.org/how-we-work/global-programmes/building-resilience-informal-settlements/overview
Resilience in Informal Settlements: Strengthening Grassroots Leadership. (2024). Cities Alliance. Retrieved from https://www.citiesalliance.org/resources/publications/programme-brief/resilience-informal-settlements-strengthening-grassroots
Strong, C., & Kuzma, S. (2020, January 21). It Could Only Cost 1% of GDP to Solve Global Water Crises. WRI. Retrieved from https://www.wri.org/insights/it-could-only-cost-1-gdp-solve-global-water-crises#
Hussainzad, E. A., & Gou, Z. (2024). Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment in Informal Settlements of the Global South: A Critical Review. Land, 13(9), 1357. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091357
Leave a Reply