Loss and Damage in Informal Urban Settlements Study Report

The report examines how climate-related hazards, particularly floods, heatwaves and droughts, produce severe economic and non-economic losses and damages in informal urban settlements in São Paulo, Nairobi and Jakarta, compounding pre-existing vulnerabilities linked to inadequate housing, poor health conditions, insecure livelihoods and limited access to basic services. Using evidence from community experiences, it shows how these impacts cascade across daily life, often amounting to human-rights violations, and highlights major gaps in data, assessment methods, and financing that prevent effective responses. It reviews existing local and national support mechanisms, their shortcomings, and the barriers informal residents face in accessing assistance. The study calls for people-centred, rights-based approaches, stronger community structures, improved multilevel coordination, and financing mechanisms, such as the Loss and Damage Fund, that can channel resources directly to vulnerable urban communities.

Authors:
United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII)
Year: 2024