Nunez: Slum upgrading - climate imperative

Modernizing informal settlements can significantly reduce climate impacts, Paula Sevilla Nunez, researcher on housing justice at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), said at an event at WUF13, Report informs.

He noted that forced evictions exacerbate climate risks and effectively become an additional source of greenhouse gas emissions, undermining climate change adaptation efforts.

"Forced evictions are not only a violation of human rights but also a brake on climate change adaptation efforts," she said.

Nunez cited a telling example: emissions from forced evictions in informal settlements in Nigeria over 25 years are comparable to the amount of carbon absorbed by a forest the size of Paris in 11 years.

She argued that these data should be taken into account in climate policy, and the modernization of existing settlements should be considered a climate priority.