This paper explores some of the emerging issues for cities in the developing world as they develop strategies to adapt to the effects of climate change. People living in the most poverty are typically the most vulnerable. The urban poor are vulnerable because of where they live and the condition of their housing – they also face a limited ability to move to a safer environment. This report asserts that sustaining and improving human settlements in the face of ongoing global climate change should become an important lens for cities as they look to the future.