TY - JOUR AU - Dreifuss-Serrano, Cristina PY - 2015/06/02 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - Sustainability through Informality JF - European Journal of Sustainable Development JA - EJSD VL - 4 IS - 2 SE - DO - 10.14207/ejsd.2015.v4n2p1 UR - http://ecsdev.org/ojs/index.php/ejsd/article/view/230 SP - 1 AB - <p>In precarious environments, such as squatter settlements, sustainability can be achieved as an economic resource. It is important, however, to start with assuring a sense of belonging in the members of the communities. Through observation in squatter settlements and conversations with their inhabitants, this paper presents a view on informal sustainability through participative<br />processes. We argue that if we begin by looking at cultural  sustainability, people’s sense of belonging becomes a key factor in taking care of the environment. We aim to demonstrate that even if squatter settlements are regarded as areas of conflict in terms of pollution, occupation of the land, and waste disposal, through informal processes people can achieve a degree of awareness that will not only result in sustainable practices, but that can also propose new creative ways to achieve them, with<br />economical considerations in mind.</p><p>Keywords: Cultural sustainability, informality, human development, squatter settlements, identity</p> ER -