By 2050, an anticipated 70% of the world’s population will call urban areas home, ushering in both promises and perils. An alarming projection looms — more than 3 billion individuals could find themselves residing in slums, presenting a formidable challenge to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11, aiming to –
‘Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.’
Urbanization and Slums
In the realm of urbanization, a formidable trend is taking shape.
According to the United Nations, over 1 billion people currently inhabit informal, overcrowded settlements, with this figure set to triple in the next three decades. A staggering 3 billion people are projected to require adequate and affordable housing by 2030.
The global scenario paints a picture of a surging tide of slums, revealing that the proportion of the urban population residing in such conditions increased from 20% between 2000 and 2014, reaching 23.5% in 2018.
The Urbanization Challenge
Cities, especially in developing countries, find themselves ill-prepared to accommodate this exponential growth, and formal structures remain conspicuously absent.
A significant factor contributing to the proliferation of slums is the lack of financial services, hindering access to quality materials for safer homes. Additionally, land values and competition over land rights exacerbate the situation, leading to potential conflicts and forced evictions.
“People living in slums lack the crucial conditions they need to thrive.”
Slums lack sufficient living space, access to water and sanitation, durability, and secure tenure. In some countries, as much as 90 percent of urban populations live in slums,”* states the report.
A Multi-faceted Crisis
Within the confined spaces of slums, sanitation and hygiene emerge as colossal challenges.
Also, limited access to clean water and functioning toilets, coupled with the susceptibility to flooding due to settlements on marginal lands, compound the issues for slum dwellers.
Moreover, the air quality in urban areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries, falls significantly short of guidelines, posing threats to health and climate change mitigation efforts.
The Imperative of Collaboration To Transform The Slums
To metamorphose slums into sustainable communities demands a concerted effort from both the public and private sectors, working collaboratively with communities.
Slum upgrading emerges as a crucial strategy, incorporating elements like access to land, security of tenure, and provision of basic services within urban planning frameworks.
In a bid to curb the projected surge to 2 billion slum dwellers by 2030, there’s a pressing need for prioritizing slum upgrading. This involves fostering inclusion, promoting economic development, and creating a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Another pivotal approach involves redirecting focus to rural areas, addressing the root causes of urban migration driven by poverty, climate shocks, and land ownership restrictions.
As the clock ticks toward 2050, changing the realities of slums requires a holistic commitment to sustainable urban development. Policymakers must be in their toes while communities, and stakeholders must collaborate in crafting resilient, inclusive, and thriving cities for future generations.
Culled in by Fortune Omosola
