One billion people live in slums. That's one in seven of us. Unless urgent action is taken, 1.4 billion people will live in slums by 2020.
What are slums?
The United Nations characterises slums/informal settlements by one or more of the following:
- Poor structural quality and durability of housing
- Insufficient living areas (more than three people sharing a room)
- Lack of secure tenure
- Poor access to water
- Lack of sanitation facilities
Facts about slums:
- Today, more people live in urban areas than rural areas and city populations are growing by more than 200,000 new inhabitants each day.
- Cities in developing countries are expected to absorb 95 per cent of urban population growth in the next two decades, increasing the slum population by nearly 500 million between now and 2020.
- Cities account for some 70 per cent of global GDP and city slums are often economically vibrant; around 85 per cent of all new employment opportunities around the world occur in the informal economy.
Poor quality and overcrowded housing in slums has a significant impact on people's lives. Poor housing means diseases spread more easily, the effect of disasters like flooding are amplified, and people are denied their privacy and safety.
Slums built on marginal land prone to disasters like flooding pose a high risk for residents. Those living beside busy city roads and railways, on shorelines, river banks and on and around rubbish dumps feel the constant dangers of these unsafe environments. With no legal rights to land, slum dwellers face the threat of eviction and can find it difficult to secure a job and access credit and finance. Not having a formal, legal address can prevent slum dwellers from accessing services including healthcare, education, water and electricity. Gaining secure tenure of safe land is the first step towards building a permanent home and accessing other opportunities.
Poor sanitation and unsafe water claim the lives of many slum dwellers every year. Contaminated water supplies, poor hygiene and a lack of decent toilets and sewerage increase the spread of deadly diseases in slums. Diarrhoea kills 1.5 million children under five each year. Without toilets, women suffer from the lack of privacy and dignity, and the burden of getting water (often from far away) usually falls on women and girls. The price of available water and sanitation facilities is often unaffordable.
