Climate change is set to exacerbate existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting the urban poor—particularly the more than 1 billion people living in slums, who face heightened risks due to inadequate housing, infrastructure, and services. 

Women, who are overrepresented in slum populations in many regions, are especially vulnerable to climate impacts and environmental hazards such as air pollution, waste exposure, and flooding. Their heightened vulnerability is rooted in persistent gender inequalities, including limited access to land and property rights, financial resources, education, and technology, as well as a disproportionate burden of unpaid care work. These constraints reduce women’s adaptive capacity and ability to respond to climate shocks. As a result, women not only face greater exposure to risks but are also more likely to be displaced and less able to recover, reinforcing cycles of vulnerability and inequality.