A global (South) collective burden: A systematic review of the current state of climate-related hazards in informal settlements

Abstract

Currently, 1 billion residents inhabit informal settlements characterized by a lack of urban services, inadequate housing, insecure land tenure, and heightened vulnerability to climate-related hazards. With minimal governmental support, these communities bear the burden of managing climate risks. This systematic review utilized Scopus and Web of Science databases to identify and synthesize peer-reviewed literature investigating global climate-related hazards in informal settlements over the past 23 years. Search terms included "Informal Settlements OR Slums" AND "Landslide" OR "Heat Stress" OR "Heatwaves " OR "Urban Heat Island" OR "Flooding" OR "Water Scarcity". The review reveals a rising trend in published articles on climate-related hazards in informal settlements, particularly in the last six years. Of the 415 papers identified, the majority (approximately 70 %) focus on flood risk impacts and adaptation measures. We identified six emerging trends, including 1) gender analysis, 2) scaling demographies, 3) adaption actions, 4) transferability, 5) GIS and remote sensing, and 6) building climate resilience. Despite the prevalence of high temperatures in informal settlement areas, studies addressing heat-related hazards, such as heat stress or Urban Heat Island, are underdeveloped. Individuals or households predominantly carry out risk reduction and adaptation efforts, with few transformative, multi-stakeholder initiatives observed. Developing a transferable, community-based climate risk assessment model could significantly enhance resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and disaster risks in informal settlements, emphasizing the need for collaborative, multi-scale strategies.