Paper short abstract:

In an age of rapid urbanization in the global south, it is critical that decision-makers along with local partnerships operationalize approaches to building resilience from locally informed action.

Paper long abstract:

The future is heading towards an unprecedented rapid urbanization. Most cities in the global south are saturating with high densities and a large influx of migrants that big cities can no longer accommodate. Medium and smaller towns soon will be facing similar situation. Communities living in Informal settlements are the most vulnerable and are severely impacted by climate change. Their vulnerabilities are compounded with inadequacy to access basic infrastructure such as water and sanitation, living on hazardous land, poor quality housing structure and multidimensional poverty hence, inadequate finance together makes it impossible to bounce back in case struck by disaster.

This presentation will focus on three areas, i) Data that is inclusive: Community led enumeration and participatory data collection are critical tools for local action. Disaggregated data on informal settlements are the building blocks for building resilience from below. ii) Special planning areas and tools for inclusive cities: Present urban planning instruments, norms and standards are failing to bring solutions that meet the needs and aspirations of informal settlements. Rational planning practices requires governments to institutionalize inclusive planning as new normal that is transformative. iii) Ward level planning: For action to be realizable and scalable, ward level plans are to be integrated with local data and allow local solutions.

Dealing with fatalities of climate change requires a systematic approach to equip cities with the tools they need to develop locally led adaptation techniques that provide support and empower local communities to develop coping mechanisms and strategies that work for them.