Globally, over one billion people live in informal settlements, where they face difficulties such as lack of access to basic infrastructure, health and social services, and inadequate housing.
When Covid-19 struck, urban poor communities around the world were hit hardest. The challenges facing urban poor communities became increasingly urgent and brought to the surface long-standing underlying and unresolved factors such as climate change, urbanisation and informality, and global and local inequalities.
Confronted with limited resources and mounting vulnerabilities, addressing these challenges requires investments in locally-led solutions and partnerships that support communities to build their resilience for future shocks and stresses of urban informal living.
Cities Alliance, in partnership with its member Slum Dwellers International (SDI) and with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), has put together a multi-phase programme to support civil society organisations working in informal settlements across 16 countries.
Phase I (2020-2021): Responding to Shocks
The Covid-19 Response Programme supported civil society groups to respond to the social, economic, and health impacts of the pandemic in informal settlements. The programme was implemented in 16 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to enhance the overall resilience of slum organisations and communities during the crisis and strengthen their capacity and systems for preparedness in the face of other emergencies.
Phase II (2022-2024): Recovery and Rebuilding
The programme supported communities in recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and building resilient environments. The two-year programme builds on the achievements of Phase I and is implemented in 16 countries across the same regions covered in the previous phase.
Phase III (2024): Locally-Led Climate Adaptation
The Supporting Locally-Led Climate Change Innovation phase specifically supports youth- and women-led responses to climate change challenges in informal settlements. It is aimed at improving services and increasing communities' resilience to withstand future shocks and stresses of urban informal living. It is implemented in the same 16 countries as the previous phases.
Scope of the Programme
Cities Alliance has awarded grants to local NGOs to support federations of urban poor within the SDI network in Botswana, Brazil, Ghana, India, Liberia, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Partners
