Managing climate change risks in urban areas: determinants of climate change responses by informal settlement dwellers

Urban areas are central to climate change (CC) risk management but are among the most affected by its impacts, particularly informal settlements, where vulnerability is highest. However, little information exists on how informal sector dwellers respond to CC effects. This study examines the determinants of CC response strategies among informal sector households in Abuja Federal Capital City, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted with 388 purposefully selected households across five informal settlements, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify key factors influencing their CC responses. Findings show that while 55 %–83 % of respondents across the study locations were aware of CC response strategies, actual adoption was low. Only 27 % used fans or air conditioners for cooling, and 10 % adjusted seasonal activities in response to changing climate conditions. The remaining 16 response strategies, including solar energy use, flood prevention, tree planting, migration, and infrastructural adjustments, were each used by less than 7 % of households. Overall, CC responses in these informal settlements were uncoordinated, reactive, and lacked institutional support. Barriers to CC response adoption included lack of knowledge (24 %), inadequate infrastructure (23 %), financial constraints (21 %), and time limitations (19 %). Logistic regression analysis identified education, income, and occupation as significant positive determinants of CC response adoption, while marital status had a negative influence. These factors explained 80 % of the variation in CC responses, with a model accuracy of 94.6 %. To enhance CC resilience among informal sector households, effective strategies are needed, including intensive disaster risk education, economic support through grants and microfinance, and infrastructural upgrades such as drainage systems and green spaces. Institutional interventions are essential to support coordinated and sustainable climate adaptation in urban informal settlements. Upgrading programs are needed to provide some physical infrastructure to make the area more CC resilient.