Project description
|
|
|
In the aftermath of the Millennium Declaration in 2000, UN-HABITAT was given the responsibility to report on the “significant improvement in the lives of slum dwellers”, the MDGs Slum Target. However, when the slum target was introduced, there was no globally standard definition of slums. UN-HABITAT was not able to report on the implementation of the slum target until the October 2002; the Global Urban Observatory (GUO) organized an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) to reach to an agreement on the universally agreed definition of slums. As per the recommendation of the EGM, the urban population living in slums is defined as the urban population living in a household that lack one or more of the following basic services: improved water, improved sanitation, durable housing, sufficient living area and/or security of tenure.
Since 2003, using the EGM recommended definition of slum, the GUO has built up a tradition of collecting and analysing slum indicators using household surveys and population and housing censuses. This has allowed UNHABITAT to report on slums to the CSD, ECOSOC and GA. The slum storyline prepared for the 2010 MDGs Report shows that the numbers of slum dwellers in the developing world have grown considerably from 767 in 2000 to 828 in 2010, and will continue to rise in the near future. The progress made on the slum target has not been sufficient to offset the growth of informal settlements in the developing world. Efforts will still be needed to improve the lives of the increasing numbers of slum dwellers in all regions, particularly on access to durable housing and secure tenure.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Location: Global |
|
|
Branch: |
|
|
Partner: UNECA, UNESCAP, UNESCWA, UNECLAC and UN-HABITAT Regional offices in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean |
|
|
Themes: |
|
|
Budget: USD 595,000 |
|
|
Received/Pledged: |
|
Focus Area(s)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Background
The Global Urban Observatory has introduced and developed a methodology that aims to estimate the durability of housing. For instance, the following locations are considered as hazardous: geologically hazardous zones (landslide/earthquake and flood areas); garbage-mountains; high-industrial pollution areas; high-risk zones, e.g. railroads, airports, energy transmission lines. The method also incorporates the durability factors of the building materials as well as the compliance with local building codes, standards and bye-laws. The method has been successfully tested as part of the Urban Inequities Surveys (UIS) implemented in selected cities. UN-HABITAT has been also collaborating with UNICEF and ORC Macro for the inclusion of durable housing and secure tenure components in their international programme of household surveys, Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) respectively. Inclusion of durable housing and secure tenure was also advocated under the Census 2010. Series of expert group meetings with universities and research centres have been conducted for a better integration of household data and remote sensing and GIS data. Workshops with National statistical Offices from 16 Asian countries and 23 African have also been organized UN-HABITAT in collaboration with Regional Commissions (UNECA, UNESCAP, UNESWA) in November 2009 and December 2009 respectively. We are also discussing possible collaboration with UNISDR on these issues. But much remains to be done in the aspect of collection, analysis and use of housing data for better monitoring and planning.
Objective This project aims Building Capacity and Strengthening Partnership between National Statistical Offices and Local Authorities to monitor the Millennium Development Goals Slum target in the context of natural disasters and housing crisis in Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Activities This project will be implemented through training workshops (Capacity Building), advisory services, and consultancy work within the monitoring framework of the MDGs Slum Target established within the Global Urban Observatory Section.
