Climate Action from the Margins: Housing, Urban Informality, and Nature-Based Solutions in the Global South

Cities in the Global South face intersecting challenges of climate risk, housing deficits, and expanding urban informality. This session examines how nature-based solutions (NbS) integrated with inclusive housing and informal settlement upgrading can accelerate climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. Responding directly to Global Research and Action Agenda (GRAA) priorities, the session bridges urban climate science, policy, and practice through evidence from climate-vulnerable cities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Through comparative case studies and practice-based insights, the session highlights co-produced approaches that align community knowledge, urban planning, and ecosystem-based strategies to address heat stress, flooding, and environmental degradation in informal settlements. Emphasis is placed on multilevel governance, city–national alignment, and partnerships that enable scaling of locally grounded solutions. The session contributes actionable insights to the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities (SR Cities) and supports high-ambition pathways under CHAMP and SURGe.