Preventing Loss and Damage: how can housing resilience strengthen climate adaptation – COP 27

This ‘solutions circle’ event, organised by BuildChange, focused on adaptation and housing resilience. “Firestarter” panelists ignited discussion based on their organisations’ experiences and participation in the COP27 to reflect on how different stakeholders can collaborate and engage together. However, the goal was to come together and hear not only from the speakers but from all of attendees as well about pressing issues on their minds about housing action right now and in the years to come.  

Featured speakers included: 

• Sarah Bush, Chief of Staff, Build Change 

• Alejandra Rivera, Global Programme Manager, Built Environment, IHRB 
• Mandy Entrikin, Director of Global Affairs and Advocacy, Habitat for Humanity International 
• Zilire Luka, CCODE Executive Director, Slum Dwellers International Malawi 

Some takeaways from the group discussion were: 

• In many countries in the global south, locally-led housing provision has aimed to mitigage housing shortage on the ground, filling in the undelivered responsibilities of governments. Governments should recognise this, and provide and regularise access to basic services such as water systems and waste management, as urbanisation expands. 
• Housing investment: if governments are investing in education, water and sanitation, and other infrastructures, but people go back to poor housing conditions, they are losing dividends on their investment in those other areas. 
• Housing is a trigger: “If we address housing shortage (in quality and quantity), we also fix other issues”… improved living conditions enable citizens the time and focus on human and economic development activities 
• “Housing is a climate change issue”: urbanisation has both a relationship of cause and effect with climate change 

IHRB is a member of BuildChange’s Climate Resilient Housing Initiative which engages decision-makers and homeowners across the housing value chain to build climate resilience. We are a collaboration of governments, banks, philanthropists, implementers, and technologists universalising the right to access resilient, climate-smart housing worldwide.