In the context of rising urbanisation, climate change is presenting unique challenges that require greater understanding. Challenges range from the physical (increasing heat waves, higher sea levels), but also providing basic services. The impact will be particularly severe in low-elevation coastal zones, where many of the world’s largest cities are located. Despite this, most international climate change framework mechanisms are are at the national level and lack processes which engage local stakeholders, who are indispensable if climate change commitments are to be realised.
Climate change will have cross-sectoral effects, affecting water supply, physical infrastructure, transport, industrial production, and energy provision. A range of factors determine people’s vulnerability, including gender, age, race and wealth. Failure to adjust zoning and building standards may limit infrastructure adaptation, leaving lives and assets at risk. Impacts are likely to be long-lasting and have global reach.
The report offers a set of main principles for action including:
- Recognise that no mitigation or adaptation policy is equally well-suited to all cities.
- Undertake an opportunity/risk management approach including both emissions and possible risks addressing varying future outlooks.
- Emphasise policy synergies to achieve both developmental and climate change goals.
- Address both short- and longer-term issues and needs.
- Include new approaches supporting multi-scale, multi-sector and multi-partner action.
It also identifies priority areas for international support such as making financial resources available, easing administrative burdens in accessing international support, and circulating and sharing knowledge on climate change science and options for adaptation and mitigation.
A range of recommendations to better link urbanisation and climate change is offered:
- At the international level this should include: offering tax and other incentives for alternative energy investments; designing more appropriate climate responses, for example re-designing flood protection policies; enhancing the coordination between sectoral and administrative entities; developing partnerships with non-governmental actors to share risks, such as private insurance providers; planning for more substantial climate change impacts and adaptation needs than those currently anticipated; creating broad-based oversight organisations that represent interests of all actors involved, including local populations.
- At the local level this should include: ensuring all actions are based on awareness of local development aspirations and preferences, local knowledge of realities that shape needs, choices and options, and local potential for innovation; developing a vision for future development and identifying how to incorporate climate change responses into these urban development aspirations; expanding community participation so it is representative of all involved (private sector, neighbourhoods, civil society) and encourages broad-based perspective and wide knowledge base of information for making decisions; and conducting vulnerability assessments using inclusive processes, to identify common and differentiated risks to urban development plans.
