ABSTRACT
The provision of housing for all South Africans has been a key policy priority of the ANC-led government since it took over the reins of power in 1994. Despite implementing various housing programmes in the past two decades, the housing backlog in South Africa, particularly in urban centres, remains an intractable challenge that is being worsened by the impacts of climate change. In this chapter, we review the implications of climate change for urban poor people and their resilience in the context of a changing climate. We argue that the frequency of climate change–related disasters and the vulnerability of resource-poor communities necessitates the question of housing provision to move beyond the provision of physical dwelling units to explore the extent to which these are resilient to a changing climate. This is particularly important given South Africa’s vulnerability to climate change and its poverty and inequality extremes.
