Leaving no one in Cities behind: Addressing Inequalities through Resilient Infrastructure

Cities have a pivotal role in addressing the climate crisis. They are home to over half of the world’s population and hotspots of global warming, producing three-quarters of global GHG emissions. Cities are also the places where the effects of climate change and urban poverty intersect. The two billion people living and working in the informal sector – around 60 percent of the labour force – are especially at risk from climate impacts. Many live in areas prone to weather-related hazards, and they are already vulnerable due to poverty, lack of services, and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Resilient and sustainable urban communities rely on quality, safe and affordable basic services, such as water, sanitation, hygiene, and energy in cities. Inadequate, insufficient, or unsafe infrastructure can therefore expose communities to higher risks of sudden disasters or fail to benefit the most vulnerable people.

Resilient infrastructure is also the basis for local economic development – a real “business case” for adaptation measures. It is vital that infrastructure increases the resilience of communities by protecting them, providing for them, or increasing their connectivity locally. This can be done by designing everyone’s needs into investments, bridging the chronic infrastructure gap in informal settlements, safeguarding people from potential negative impacts of large infrastructure, while enable the basis for local economic development.