Informality and Equitable Urban Resilience

The document examines the role of urban informality—including unplanned settlements, unregistered economic activities, and unrecognized governance—in the context of rapid urbanization and climate change in southern Africa. It argues that while informality is often invisible or politically challenging, it provides critical services and livelihoods where formal systems fail. The brief recommends that city governments use 'bridging organizations' (such as NGOs and academic institutions) to mediate between formal and informal systems, create inclusive participatory spaces for innovative governance, and address the inequitable distribution of burdens and benefits associated with informal activities. Case studies from Cape Town, Malawi, Harare, and South African waste pickers illustrate how community-led responses and innovative finance can build resilience.

• Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing rapid urbanization and climate-driven migration, with the UN projecting that 60% of the population will live in cities by 2030. Climate change is expected to create up to 40 million climate migrants in the region under a 1.7°C warming scenario, a number that could more than double if warming reaches 2.5°C.
• Urban informality manifests in three primary ways: unplanned and unserviced human settlements lacking tenure security; unregistered and unincorporated economic activities lacking social protection; and social interaction and governance processes that are unrecognized or deemed illegitimate by government agencies.
• City governments can effectively engage with informality by utilizing 'bridging organizations'—such as NGOs, academic institutions, or community leaders—who possess legitimacy in both formal and informal systems and can negotiate sustainable solutions.
• Informal actors often provide essential urban services and resilience contributions that are not formally recognized or compensated. For example, in South Africa, waste pickers recycle up to 90% of post-consumer plastics and packaging, yet they lack public funding and protections for hazardous conditions.
• Community-led initiatives can bridge gaps in formal service delivery during crises, as seen in Cape Town where 'Community Action Networks' (CANs) organized via social media provided food and medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic, later evolving into the formal Western Cape Food Forum.
• In Malawi, the collaboration between Slum Dwellers International (SDI) and bridging organizations helped residents in Lilongwe, Mzuzu, and Blantyre develop disaster mitigation strategies after recurrent floods, leading local governments to contribute to a community-managed fund.

APA

Global Resilience Partnership (2023). Informality and Equitable Urban Resilience. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/insights-brief.pdf

Chicago

Global Resilience Partnership. Informality and Equitable Urban Resilience. 2023. https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/insights-brief.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Resilience Partnership |title=Informality and Equitable Urban Resilience |date=December 2023 |url=https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/insights-brief.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalresiliencepartnership2023informality, author = {{Global Resilience Partnership}}, title = {{Informality and Equitable Urban Resilience}}, institution = {Global Resilience Partnership}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www.globalresiliencepartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/insights-brief.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }