Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in some of the most extreme corners of the Earth? From the coldest and most isolated settlements to earthquake epicentres, polluted cities and even criminal hotspots, some people spend their entire lives in the world's harshest environments.

Click or scroll on to take a look at homes in these challenging locations and discover the measures that residents take just to survive...

With an ever-present layer of toxic smog hanging over its skyline, Gurugram (which lies within the National Capital Territory of Delhi) is not the most desirable place to live in the world.

In 2018, the suburb was named the world's most polluted city, according to Greenpeace and AirVisual. Then in 2023, the Indian capital topped a real-time list for the same title, compiled by Swiss Group IQAir, reports Reuters.

Renowned as one of India's tech hubs, Gurugram is home to a number of international firms, including TripAdvisor and Uber. The developing city is full of new construction, a major source of dust which has created high levels of air pollution.

The issue isn't helped by seasonal lower temperatures and a lack of wind, as well as a poor public transport system, resulting in more residents regularly using their cars.

In October 2018, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board issued a five-point agenda to combat air pollution, which included sprinkling water on roads, tackling traffic congestion and providing electric heaters to outdoor security guards in the winter to stop the burning of firewood.

Nonetheless, levels have increased and schools were closed for around two weeks in November 2023 due to pollution, reports the BBC. 

Unsurprisingly, those in the slums and on the streets of Gurugram are the most vulnerable, as they spend the majority of their time outside and are unable to escape the toxic smog.

Residents complain of irritation in the eyes and itchy throats, while more serious conditions include neurological, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and increased mortality rates. 

In neighbouring New Dehli, which has also been named the most polluted capital city in the world, the government previously placed a temporary ban on construction activities and waste-burning, as well as increasing parking charges to dissuade people from driving into the city.

Gurugram's wealthy can purchase expensive air purifiers and hire clean air consultants, who will come and pollution-proof their luxury homes.

Meanwhile, the poor are left to breathe the potentially fatal air quality outside, driving a new kind of inequality, say experts. Even the cheaper air purifier models, which sell for around £57 ($72), are out of reach for most of India’s nearly 1.3 billion people, who live on less than £2.40 ($3.10) a day.

Located in Svalbard, a group of islands in Norway, Longyearbyen is a small former coal-mining town known for its colourful homes and spectacular views of the Northern Lights.

With a striking landscape of snow-topped mountain peaks, long stretches of ice and glittering glaciers, it's the northernmost settlement on Earth that's populated all year round.

Nestled just north of the Arctic Circle, this remote outpost experiences the natural phenomenon of the midnight sun in the summer months and a 24-hour polar night in the winter.

It has a human population of just over 2,500. However, it's the sizeable number of polar bears that draws visitors from all over the world, as well as its reindeer.

With freezing conditions and inquisitive local wildlife, living in Longyearbyen can be challenging. Locals are taught to avoid confrontations with the roaming polar bears by staying on high alert, retreating calmly and carrying high-powered game rifles.

The climate in Longyearbyen and the surrounding islands is harsh, with an average daily high of just 4°C from June to September, and temperatures as low as -16°C from November to April.

However, this hasn't kept the tourists away and a boom in visitors has enabled the area to move its economy away from coal mining, which was halted in 2016, to tourism. Many locals now rent out their homes or cabins on Airbnb, like this one, or run polar bear tours and expedition cruises in the summer.

Permanent residence in Longyearbyen is not for the faint-hearted, however. There is a constant danger of avalanches in the summer and the limited road network means locals have to get around on snowmobiles.

Then there’s the small detail of death. Dying was made illegal in Longyearbyen in 1950 because extreme temperatures make burial impossible. Residents have to fly to the mainland for their final days if they are terminally ill, and if an unexpected death occurs, they must be transported off the island for burial.

Catania is an ancient port perched on Sicily's east coast, home to centuries-old homes. This picturesque Italian city sits at the foot of Mount Etna, Europe's tallest and most active volcano. 

After a devastating eruption in 1669, most of Catania was destroyed and more than 20,000 of its citizens were killed. Gradually, Catania was rebuilt and is now known around the world for its grand Baroque architecture.

The 11,014-foot tall volcano has erupted frequently over the past 2,700 years and, in more recent times, officials have taken steps to try and protect the residents of Catania.

When Etna erupted in 1993, Italian officials managed to save the town of Zafferana Etnea, diverting lava streams around the town through the use of barriers and trenches.

One of the more recent major volcanic events took place on 26 December 2018. Ash and lava were spewed into the sky, triggering a huge 4.8-magnitude earthquake. The tremor injured 28 people and caused buildings and monuments around the city, which is home to more than 300,000 residents, to crumble.

The eruption and earthquake in 2018 left around 400 people homeless, and many properties uninhabitable. Mount Etna later erupted in May 2019, but thankfully it did not endanger the people of Catania, as the lava spewed upwards from the summit.

An eruption in 2021 lasted several weeks but caused no injuries, while in 2023, there were two eruptions in May and November, which forced ash into the atmosphere, but did not particularly impact the city of Catania, reported the BBC. However, the volcano did produce some rather spectacular displays of lava being sprayed into the night sky, as seen here...

An ancient Berber city, Ghadames is located in the Libyan desert. With virtually no rainfall all year long, it's prone to extremely hot summers, with the highest recorded temperature of 55°C.

Also known as the 'Pearl of the Desert', it's packed with alleyways that have been clad in heat-reflecting white plaster to shield the locals from the boiling sun.

Designed to survive the challenging conditions, the houses in the town cluster together to form a rough circle, with the outer walls of the homes located on the city's perimeter thickened to create a fortified settlement. While a Roman garrison was located here from 19BC, the structures that we see today are from the 13th-16th centuries.

The architectural style of these houses sets Ghadames apart from the other surrounding pre-Saharan cities. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town's iconic mud and lime huts help to protect the residents from the intense heat. Remarkably, the old town is almost completely covered, except for small ventilation holes in the mud. 

Inside, the historic homes have a minimum of two floors, with one used for storing goods and the other for family living. The rooftops themselves not only protect the residents from the scorching sun but function as a second city, with walkways that make it easy to move from one house to another.

The small town of Ittoqqortoormiit on the east coast of Greenland is the most remote inhabited community in the western hemisphere. More than 500 miles from the nearest town, there’s no airport or road access and the only way in for nine months of the year is by helicopter. 

Sandwiched between the largest national park and the longest fjord system in the world, the setting of this tiny outpost is breathtaking. 

Its close-knit community lives in a scattering of small wooden buildings, painted in bright shades of blue, red, yellow and green and perched on a coastal bluff of pink and grey gneiss, which is among the oldest rocks on earth. A ship comes twice a year to replenish supplies, including food, but life is tough.

For around nine months of the year, sea ice blocks the town's access to civilisation, meaning hunting and fishing are the only ways the residents can survive. In recent years, however, fluctuations in climate mean the ice is freezing later and melting earlier, spelling disaster for this small population of around 370 people. 

Declining sea ice in the region has also brought polar bears closer to the communities, unable to catch seals on the disappearing ice and drawn to Ittoqqortoormiit by the smells of the settlement.

These huge predators pose a real danger to Ittoqqortoormiit's inhabitants, and while most residents must carry a gun as a precaution, they are encouraged to only scare them away.

According to WWF, by 2050 global polar bear numbers may decline by 30%. And the population of Ittoqqortoormiit will continue to dwindle as people struggle to find alternative work and are forced to leave their homes. This is a community on the frontline of climate change.

One of the most densely populated cities on the planet, Lagos is also, according to reports, one of the worst places to live in the world.

More populous than London, New York and Beijing, nobody knows exactly how many people live in the Nigerian city. World Population Review estimates 16.5 million, while the government thinks it’s nearer 21 million. What is clear is that it’s growing at an alarming rate!

According to a report by the World Bank, over 70% of Lagos residents live in informal settlements, lacking access to services like clean water and sanitation. The community of Makoko, the so-called ‘Venice of Slums’ began in the 19th century as a fishing village, but has grown into a sprawling slum of 300,000 people who live on stilted homes atop a polluted lagoon, where they work, go to school and ferry goods via boat to and from the mainland.

As well as overcrowding, the city’s low ranking in desirability is due to poor infrastructure and pervasive corruption. Despite being known as Africa’s leading startup hub and Nigeria’s largest commercial centre, everyday life is a constant struggle with poor education and healthcare.

Plus, it remains the most congested city in the world, with the longest commute time and five million vehicles plying its roads daily, suggests further insights.

By 2050 Nigeria will have twice the population it has today and will overtake the US to become the world’s third most populated country behind China and India, reports the BBC.

Every week thousands of people from the country’s rural areas arrive in Lagos looking for work and a place to live. City planners are starting to look skywards and are building tower blocks and reclaiming land from the sea for ambitious new developments to fuel the economy and hopefully solve its chronic overcrowding problems.

It may look like a tropical paradise from on high, but Port Moresby and its famous stilt villages can be dangerous no-go areas. Outbreaks of tribal fighting are common across Papua New Guinea, including tourist neighbourhoods, according to official UK Foreign Office guidelines, and visitors are advised to travel with guides from trusted travel companies. 

The issue of tribal violence attracted international attention in 2023 when up to 150 people in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea were killed in clashes that were described as “a bushfire that has got out of control,” reported The Guardian. 

The conflict is thought to be a result of a weakening of the rule of law and a less effective judicial system, which has seen local tribes and gangs resolving disputes on the battlefield.

Today’s reputation for tribal violence and criminal theft, however, is a far cry from the beginnings of Hanuabada (Great Village) stilt village, which is located on the northern side of Port Moresby harbour and has retained much of its traditional and conservative Motu culture, according to Indopacificimages. The Motu were known as friendly, sea-going people, whose original stilt houses were constructed from wood with thatched roofs.

The original structures were destroyed during the Second World War and replaced by modern materials, which have sadly now fallen into disrepair and given the village its pre-fabricated slum-like look.

Hanuabada is perceived as a dangerous place to live, but many of its problems are due to poverty and a lack of clean water and sanitation, says the New Zealand Herald, which leaves its inhabitants vulnerable to disease and malnutrition.  

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