One of the greatest challenges for climate change adaptation is how to build resilience for the billion urban dwellers who are estimated to live in what are termed informal settlements . These settlements have been built outside the ‘formal’ system of laws and regulations that are meant to ensure safe, resilient structures, settlements and systems.

On the 3rd to 6th of September, 2013, the African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States, the European Commission, and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) hosted the 2nd International Tripartite Conference on Sustainable Urbanisation for Urban Poverty Eradication, with a special focus on Slum Upgrading and Community Empowerment.

Drawing on the experience from the Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP), international research on slum and informal settlement upgrading, this quick guide provides planning design recommendations for slum and informal settlement upgrading, building on and enhancing UN-Habitat’s current five principles for sustainable neighborhood plann

The draft New Urban Agenda (10th September 2016) is being draft to guide the United Nations system-wide approach to sustainable urbanization post the 2015 development agenda. Its broad arguments, principles and approaches reflect UN-Habitat’s research (such as the global reports) plus the Agency’s extensive practical experience in urban development.

Despite the fact that the number of slum dwellers in Brazil decreased by 7 million in the past decade, around 38.5 million people - about 19% of Brazil’s population1- still live in slums and informal settlements that cover the hillsides of towns and cities with overcrowded, unplanned and unsafe settlements2.

Avec plus de la moitié (environ 56%2) de la population urbaine vivant dans des établissements informels et des bidonvilles, et un taux de croissance urbaine de 4,34%3, la capacité et l’engagement de la Constitution kenyane de 2010 pour faire face au défi du logement abordable

With more than a half of the urban population living in informal settlements and slums (around 56%2) and an urban growth rate of 4.34%3 , the capacity and commitment of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution to address the country’s affordable housing and slum challenge is brought into focus. This impact story explores the frameworks and platforms that Kenya has in place to undertake city-wide slum upgrading and how UN-Habitat

Although some governments acknowledge the existence of slums and informal settlements, many do not. This lack of recognition and subsequent response directly undermines city-wide sustainable development and prosperity to the detriment of millions of urban dwellers, and also results in forced evictions.

Les bidonvilles sont une des caractéristiques dominantes et régulières des centres urbains du Cameroun. Plus de la moitié des Camerounais vit aujourd’hui dans des villes (53%, soit environ 13 millions sur le nombre estimé de 23 millions de Camerounais) 2, et environ 60% d’entre eux vit dans des établissements informels et des bidonvilles3.

Slums are an ongoing and dominant feature of Cameroon’s urban centres. More than half of Cameroonians now live in towns and cities (53% or around 13 million of Cameroon’s estimated 23 million)2 and an estimated 60% of those are living in informal settlements and slums3. With an urban growth rate of around 5%4 , the challenge of managing and preventing slums is critical.