UN ESCAP: Hundreds of millions in Asia-Pacific live in informal settlements

Around 700 million people in the Asia-Pacific region live in informal settlements, out of 1.1 billion globally residing in such conditions, making it a defining factor in assessing living standards in the region, Curt Garrigan, a representative of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), said.

He made the remarks during a panel discussion at the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, adding that the scale of informal settlements, combined with rising climate risks, remains a key factor shaping quality of life across the Asia-Pacific region, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

“The deep inequality between formal and informal housing lies at the core of differences in access to social services and legal protection. This crisis has been forming for decades and requires the development of long-term systemic solutions,” Garrigan stressed.

He added that a central element of sustainable urban development is ensuring adequate housing for populations, while noting that the definition of “adequacy” must be adapted to specific regional contexts.

Garrigan also pointed to demographic shifts, including population ageing in the Asia-Pacific region, which is leading to the emergence of so-called “care communities” and an expanded role for healthcare and elderly support systems, emphasising that the concept of care should encompass all age groups.

By Jeyhun Aghazada