Climate change is one of the most dangerous threats ever faced by humankind. Fuelled by two powerful human-Induced forces that have been unleashed by development and manipulation of the environment in the industrial age, the effects of urbanization and climate change are converging in ways which threaten to have unprecedented negative impacts on urban quality of life, and economic and social stability.

UN-Habitat’s research shows that a total of 227 million people in the world have moved out of slum conditions since 2000. However, the absolute number of slum dwellers has actually increased from 776.7 million in 2000 to some 827.6 million in 2010.

The first in-depth examination of a broad range of urban security issues, focusing on three key aspects of urban safety and security: crime and violence; security of tenure and protection against forced eviction; and natural and human-made disasters • The UN Human Settlements Programme’s Global Report – the most authoritative source of information on the conditions and trends in the world’s cities • An essential tool and reference for researchers, academics, public authorities and civil society organizations around the world.

The State of the African Cities 2010 goes above and beyond the first report, which provided a general overview of housing and urban management issues in Africa.

The purpose of this report is to provide an assessment of land disputes in Crimea. The report highlights the principal weaknesses and gaps in institutional capacities of the authorities in the region. It also makes recommendations for addressing deficiencies and ensuring equitable and transparent administration of housing, land and property in Crimea.

An expert group meeting was convened to discuss case studies of regulatory inform of the urban informal sector in six developing country cities.

Guided in focus by the UN Millennium Development Goals, this new State of the World’s Cities volume considers the wide range of issues that affect the lives of (mainly poor) urban dwellers: water and sanitation, shelter, overcrowding, malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, education, employment, and more.

A preliminary effort to identify whether, and to what extent, indigenous peoples enjoy the right to adequate housing in different regions of the world. Includes seven case studies on the status of housing for indigenous peoples – in practice and in law – and reviews policies and programmes aimed at addressing their disadvantage.

The report documents the proceeding of an expert group meeting held on community-based housing credit arrangements in low-income housing. The objective of the expert group meeting was to bring together experts on community-based housing finance in low-income urban areas to share and assess the experiences on the potentials and feasibility of promoting this approach to a wider spectrum of low-income communities.