Section outline

    • Introduction - Informal Settlements and Housing

      In this part of the course, we will learn about informal settlements and housing conditions around the world.
       
      Many people around the world live in homes that do not provide adequate thermal comfort, safety, or energy efficiency. These housing conditions are closely connected to poverty, climate change, health, and energy consumption.
       
      Before we learn the technical concepts of building science, it is important to understand the social and global context of housing.
       
      In this section, you will:
      • Watch a short video about informal settlements
      • Read about housing and climate change
      • Learn how housing connects to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
      • Participate in a discussion activity
       
      Next step: Watch the video below and then continue with the reading.
       
      The video is in Spanish with English subtitles. Double click on the video to "Open video in a new tab". Consider watching at a slower speed so students can follow the subtitles.
       
      After watching, work in pairs or small groups and discuss: What evidence did you see or hear of the following in Yasmin's home? Poverty / Health / Energy
    • Video Bariloche - Yasmin's Story

        
            

    • Reading: Slums and Slum Upgrading URL
      Read and respond

      Students can work alone, then share — or assign each member of a group a section to read and share after.

      Part 1: What are slums? What conditions make a community an informal settlement?
      Part 2: Why do slums develop?
      Part 3: What can be done to prevent their development?
      (Optional) Part 4: Land rights
      (Optional) Part 5: Citizenship rights

    • Video: How Can Green, Resilient Housing Address Climate Change in Cities? URL

      As you watch, identify how improved housing can address vulnerability in each of the following areas: 1. Poverty 2. Climate 3. Health 4. Energy

    • Why do informal settlements exist - and why are they growing?

      Before exploring housing conditions up close, it's important to understand the broader forces that drive people to live in informal settlements.

      Migration has always been part of how societies evolve. But today, climate change is intensifying and accelerating population movements — and cities are often unprepared to receive new arrivals.

      The World Bank projects that by 2050, over 143 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Latin America will have moved within their own countries due to slow-onset climate impacts. Most will settle in urban areas — many in informal settlements — where they face additional climate risks, limited access to services, and housing that doesn't protect them from heat, cold, or extreme weather.

      📖 Required reading

      Read the following article from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED):
      Making the Most of Migration: Mobility in the Context of the Climate Emergency (IIED, June 2022)

      As you read, think about:

      • What drives people to move to cities?
      • What happens when they arrive? And what vulnerabilities do migrants face?
      • How does climate change connect to housing vulnerability?


      Next step:       Activity - Housing, Climate Change and the SDGs

    • Activity - Housing, Climate Change and the SDGs Assignment
      Opened: Monday, 30 March 2026, 12:00 AM

      In this activity, you will connect what you have learned about informal settlements and housing conditions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - the United Nations' global framework for addressing the world's most pressing challenges.

      What are the SDGs?

      The SDGs are 17 goals adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They address issues like poverty, health, education, clean energy, and climate action.

      Your task

      Review the SDGs below and identify which ones are most relevant to the housing conditions we have been studying. For each SDG you select, write a brief explanation of how it connects to informal housing, health, safety, energy poverty, or climate change.

      SDG Goal How does this goal connect to informal housing? How does this goal reduce the risks of living in informal housing?
      SDG 1 No Poverty  
      SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being  
      SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy  
      SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities  
      SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities  
      SDG 13 Climate Action  

      💡 You don't need to fill in every row — focus on the SDGs you find most relevant and explain your thinking.


      Next step: Continue to the next activity - Analyzing Yasmin's House.

    • Discussion Forum - Life in Informal Settlements

      In this part of the course, you have watched Yasmin's story, read about climate-driven migration, and analyzed housing conditions through different lenses.

      Now it's time to share your thinking with your classmates.

      Your task:

      Choose one of the following questions to respond to:

      1. What surprised you most about life in informal settlements? Why?

      2. How does climate change make housing vulnerability worse? Can you think of an example from your own community or region?

      3. After completing the house analysis activity, which dimension -health, safety, quality of life, energy poverty, or carbon emissions- do you think is most urgent to address? Why?

      Instructions:

      • Write a response of at least 5-7 sentences
      • Reply to at least one classmate's post