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. But how is it possible to build resilience for those living outside the formal systems and usually working within the informal economy?

Barcelona 23 January 2017 - the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Territory and Sustainability of the Government of Catalonia and UN-Habitat took place recently. The main objective of this MoU is to establish a framework for cooperation between UN-Habitat and the Department of Territory and Sustainability that will enable the two institutions to share knowledge, provide mutual support and define cooperation programmes for carrying out specific projects.

Colombo, 09 January 2017  - The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has signed a grant agreement with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to implement a one year project in Sri Lanka’s central province to improve the living conditions and skills of communities in plantation settlements.

Nairobi, 13 October 2016 – It has been twenty-seven years since the United Nations General Assembly felt the urgency to call for an International Day for Disaster Reduction; established with the long-term objective of raising global awareness on how people are taking action to cope with disasters and tackle vulnerabilities.

Tam Ky City 01 September 2016 -- UN-Habitat in association with the Vietnam Urban Forum, Ministry of Construction and Quang Nam Province People’s Committee organised the Vietnam Forum on Urban Planning and Development towards Green Growth and Climate Change Resilience between August 23-24.

04 July 2016, Geneva – The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) aim to reduce disaster losses in some of the world’s most hazard prone cities with the initial aid of a €6 million grant from the EU, over the next three years. Mr. Neven Mimica, European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development said: ”Strengthening disaster risk governance is an essential part of sustainable development and a key priority of the Sendai Framework.

Melaka, 15 March 2016 - Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, has reiterated the “need for integrated and inclusive urban resilient strategies”, and stated “to build resilient cities, we must start with people.” He made the comments at the second Asia Pacific Forum on Urban Resilience and Adaptation which took place in Melaka, Malaysia earlier this month. At the conference, organised by ICLEI, Local Governments for Sustainability, Abdul Rahman bin Dahlan, Malaysia’s Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government, also welcomed participants

“Transforming the City towards Low-Carbon Resilience” introduces urban design principles that support the transformation of existing cities towards more resilience regarding the impact of climate change.  Steffen Lehmann - Professor, University of Portsmouth/Founder of s_Lab Space Laboratory for Architectural Research and Design (Sydney – Berlin), bases the lecture on his research in sustainable cities’ transformation and introduces the compact, mixed-use and walkable city model as the most promising urbanization type.

Johannesburg 1 December 2015—UN-Habitat and the Technical Centre for Disaster Risk Management and Urban Resilience (DiMSUR) presented two innovative projects for building urban resilience in Southern Africa this morning at the Africities Conference in Johannesburg. In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Oyeyinka Oyebanji, Director of UN-Habitat’s Regional Office for Africa, highlighted the importance of the urban resilience agenda following the consensus built around Goal 11 of the Sustainable Development Goal while on his part the Executive Director of DiMSUR, Mr.

Maputo, 5 November 2015-- The Technical Centre for Disaster Risk Management, Sustainability and Urban Resilience (DiMSUR) held its third Executive Board meeting in Maputo, Mozambique. DiMSUR was launched in 2014 by the Governments of Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and the Union of Comoros with the support of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the European Commission Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO), the