Climate adaptation solution for informal settlers in Asian coastal cities
The United Nation Research Institute for Social Development has released the report, Transformative Adaptation to Climate Change and Informal Settlements in Coastal Cities.
The report focuses on informal settlers in the city of Jakarta, Indonesia and Ho Chi Minh and their
- vulnerabilities to the impacts of climate change like flooding and storms,
- the gaping social inequality between the wealthy and the poor, and
- the contrast between the rise of high-end condominiums and the rapid increase in informal settlements as people from rural areas flock to the cities for economic opportunities.
On top of the problem, Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh face the threats of being underwater in a few decades. Jakarta is sinking according to a new report, and Ho Chi Min will disappear underwater due to high tides without adaptive measures by 2050.
City authorities are debating the best solution to address the problem, whether to adapt through on-site developments or relocate vulnerable residents to safer areas.
Adapting through infrastructures like dykes and seawalls will not be sufficient to address the scale of the problem but would need transformative adaptation on a grander scale and magnitude that involves government system reforms, the report says.
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