Housing as a Climate Resilience Strategy

As climate migration displaces more and more people around the world, building more resilient housing will become key to managing urban growth and shifts in population centers, writes Jonathan Reckford in Time. “According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the built environment accounts for 21% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with residential buildings responsible for 17% of the total emissions. As the planet warms and climate disasters intensify, housing’s role becomes even more critical—not only in reducing emissions but also providing stability and safety to those most affected.”

Housing-centric approaches that adapt communities and households to climate impacts, including comprehensive slum upgrading, are essential for climate actions and advancing sustainable development goals. These strategies not only address climate resilience but also provide pathways for improved health, education, and economic outcomes.

According to Habitat by Humanity research, “GDP and income per capita would increase by as much as 10.5% in some countries if housing in informal settlements were upgraded at a massive scale, and as many as 41.6 million additional children could be enrolled in school.” For Reckford, addressing the needs of people living in informal settlements — often without access to safe infrastructure or clean water — is a crucial part of building more sustainable and equitable communities.