Exploring informality: Informal Settlements, Development and Climate Change

Session Lead: Sheela Patel

Sheela is the Founder-Director of SPARC, a Mumbai-based NGO that works to organize and empower the urban poor, bringing critical attention to issues of housing, infrastructure, and urban poverty. A co-founder of Slum Dwellers International (SDI), she has played a key role in shaping a transnational movement across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Since 2022, she has led the Roof Over Our Heads (ROOH) campaign, part of the UN’s Race to Resilience.

A Padma Shri awardee, Sheela has served on several global platforms, including as a Commissioner on the Global Commission on Adaptation, trustee of IIED, and Global Ambassador for Race to Zero and Race to Resilience. She was also awarded the 2023 Lawrence C. Nussdorf Urban Leadership Prize and featured in Forbes’ 50 Over 50 list in 2025.

About the session

This masterclass explored critical issues at the intersection of informal settlements, development, and climate change. By unpacking the complexities of urban informality, the session underscored the importance of grounding policy and programmatic interventions in the lived experiences of the urban poor.

Fellows:
– Reflected on the socio-political dynamics that shape informal settlements in Indian cities
– Examined how mainstream development approaches often overlook or misinterpret informal contexts
– Discussed the disproportionate impact of climate change on informal settlements and the need for inclusive, community-informed resilience strategies

The session blended lecture and case-based discussions to help fellows develop a more nuanced, equity-centered approach to engaging with urban informality in their work.