ONE UN - Remove the risk, not the people - Slum transformation as key to housing justice and climate resilience (WUF13).

 The thirteenth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 17 to 22 May 2026. The theme of WUF13 is: Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities.


Boosting urban climate resilience and sustainable development through integrated slum transformation.

In the final Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), progress on SDG indicator 11.1 ("By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums") has stalled and, in many regions, reversed. Informal settlements already house more than one billion people and, without immediate and decisive action at scale, are projected to grow to three billion residents by 2050. At the same time, climate change is intensifying heat stress, flooding, landslides, water insecurity and health risks, disproportionately affecting residents of informal settlements and deepening existing housing and inequality gaps. With housing, climate and inequality crises intersecting most acutely in informal settlements, solutions are indispensable to building resilient cities and communities. In many places, authorities resort to forced evictions in the name of climate risk reduction, disproportionately affecting people living in informal settlements and disaster-prone areas. At least two million people are forcibly evicted every year, despite evidence showing that this undermines livelihoods, climate resilience, and progress on SDG achievement and carbon emission reductions in cities. In reaction to this, the Informality Task Force (ITF), a global dialogue space to support the implementation of the Global Action Plan for Accelerated Slum Transformation and connected resolutions, is proposing to bring together actors from governments, slum dweller communities, civil society, and international development cooperation to bring attention to this new wave of climate-related forced evictions and showcase alternatives that contribute to simultaneously advance housing justice, climate resilience, and sustainable development. Guided by the principle "Remove the risk, not the people" the session brings together scientific and practical evidence to spotlight the manifold impacts of forced evictions on sustainable development, to share experiences of in-situ upgrading in risk-prone areas that reduce risks without the need for displacement, and to position slum transformation as a core climate adaptation strategy aligned with national climate policies and the Global Goal on Adaptation and connected emerging financing flows to translate global commitments into local pathways for inclusive climate-resilient development.

Facilitator: Alexandre Frediani

Partners:
Cities Alliance / UNOPS (Belgium)
Habitat for Humanity (United States of America)
International Institute for Environment and Development IIED (United Kingdom)
Build Change (South Africa)

Panelists:
Ms. Sarah Nandudu, Vice Chairperson of the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda, Slum Dwellers Internationa (Uganda)
Mr. James Schell, Global Director Urban Programming, Habitat for Humanity (Australia)
Mr. Greg Munro, Director, Cities Alliance UNOPS (South Africa)
Mr. Juan Caballero, CEO, Build Change (United States of America)
Ms. Samia Nascimento Sulaiman, General Coordinator, Coordination and Partnerships, Department of Risk Prevention and Mitigation, Ministry of Cities (Brazil)
Mr. Sebastian Herold, Senior Policy Officer, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development BMZ (Germany)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1st Meeting, 86th Session of Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management.

Image
On 8 October 2025 (10 a.m.– 6 p.m.), a meeting of UNECE member States' ministers will address urgent challenges and strategic priorities of housing affordability and sustainability. Ten years after the adoption of the Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing, ministers will be invited to share their countries' experience on major housing affordability and sustainability-related challenges and present key actions and strategic solutions for addressing them. As the key outcome of the meeting, ministers will be invited to agree on commitments towards sustainable and affordable housing. Related Documents:  Learn More . Watch the 1st Meeting, 86th Session of Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land! Management Meetings & Events
Read more

Briefing on Urban Climate and Environment: Milestones for 2025 and beyond.

Image
The resumed second session of the United Nations Habitat Assembly will take place from 29 to 30 May 2025 at the UN-Habitat Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. In the lead-up to COP30 (November 2025) and WUF13 in (May 2026), UN-Habitat and partners will hold a briefing on major urban climate and environment milestones. Cities and communities are at the forefront of climate change, bearing significant impacts but also offering immense opportunities for mitigation and adaptation. As cities confront overlapping crises, from climate impacts to housing and inequality, the need for integrated, locally grounded solutions is more urgent than ever. A strong urban component is essential for effective global climate action. The briefing will highlight what UN-Habitat and partners are doing to ensure a strengthened institutional framework for urbanization and multilevel climate action. Specifically, key updates will be shared on the urban roadmap to COP30 and WUF13, the initiatives of the Baku Contin...
Read more