Homes at Risk: Global Call Seeks to Fund Climate Resilience Solutions in Informal Settlements

Application Deadline: July 31, 2026

Recurrent floods, landslides on unstable hillsides, scorching heatwaves, and extreme storms are no longer distant threats; they are daily realities disproportionately impacting millions of people living in informal settlements and vulnerable urban communities worldwide. Yet, amidst adversity, those on the frontlines of climate risk are also pioneering some of the most innovative, grassroots adaptation strategies to build genuine resilience from the ground up.

With the explicit purpose of identifying, supporting, and scaling these efforts, the Munich Re Foundation and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) have officially opened the international call for applications for the 2027 RISK Award. Under this edition's central theme, "Homes at Risk: Climate Resilience for Informal Settlements," the award stands out as an essential financial and operational mechanism for community-led risk management.

Direct Funding for Grassroots Innovation

The core philosophy of the RISK Award is practical action. For this cycle, the organizing institutions have allocated a fund of up to €100,000 dedicated exclusively to implementing and scaling the selected projects. Rather than subsidizing theoretical or bureaucratic frameworks, this capital provides tangible backing for on-the-ground execution designed to measurably reduce structural and climate vulnerability within informal habitats.

The evaluation committee will prioritize proposals that demonstrate deep roots in community participation, foster strong multi-sectoral partnerships, and offer practical solutions designed to be replicable and scalable across similar urban contexts worldwide.

Who Can Apply?

The call is structured to harness the agility of civil society organizations and specialized technical networks. Applications are open to:

• Local or international non-profit and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

• Community-based organizations and neighborhood associations with institutional capacity.

• Entities working directly within vulnerable urban settlements and sustainable housing initiatives.

• Networks, consortia, and platforms explicitly dedicated to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation.

A Crucial Call for Latin America and the Caribbean

The launch of this edition carries severe urgency and a critical opportunity for Latin America and the Caribbean. Long recognized statistically as one of the most highly urbanized regions on earth, the territory faces the macroeconomic and social challenge of managing metropolitan growth where informal expansion often outpaces public planning capacities.

Precarious settlements across the region, frequently located on floodplains or landslide-prone slopes, represent an ideal arena for infrastructure and urban resilience specialists to implement structured, replicable frameworks. Channeling international climate finance into local capacity building is one of the most effective strategies to mitigate post-disaster replacement costs and safeguard the hard-earned assets of vulnerable populations. The 2027 RISK Award is, therefore, a timely catalyst in today’s climate-finance ecosystem.

Join the Call for Applications

The final deadline to submit project proposals and technical application forms is July 31, 2026. Organized networks and community agencies are highly encouraged to submit their methodological frameworks through the official portal.

• Access guidelines, conditions, and the application form here: https://www.munichre-foundation.org/en/climate-adaptation/risk-award/news/2027-risk-award-call.html