Urban Vulnerability to Climate Change

Conceptualizing urban vulnerability to global climate and environmental change (Abstract, Patricia Romero Lankaoa, and Hua Qina, Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Feb. 10, 2011)

Also discussed here: Unprepared cities vulnerable to climate change (Science Newsline Nature, Apr. 8, 2011)

And here: Unprepared cities vulnerable to climate change (Eurekalert, UCA press release, Apr. 7, 2011)

And here: Climate change targets developing world's cities

The focus of the review article today is on the lack of action by many large cities world-wide. The author suggests that a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of urban vulnerability is needed where critical thresholds and indirect impacts are defined and made part of urban action plans, as well as more progress in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions as reducing energy demand, as seen in congestion pricing.

Key Quotes:

"Climate change is a deeply local issue and poses profound threats to the growing cities of the world..But too few cities are developing effective strategies to safeguard their residents."

“cities are falling short in two areas: preparing for the likely impacts of climate change and cutting their own greenhouse gas emissions by reducing fossil fuel use.”

“by 2020, there will be more than 500 urban areas with 1 million or more residents”

"Local authorities tend to move towards rhetoric rather than meaningful responses..What is at stake, of course, is the very existence of many human institutions, and the safety and well-being of masses of humans"

"Cities can have an enormous influence on emissions by focusing on mass transit systems and energy efficient structures..But local leaders face pressures to build more roads and relax regulations that could reduce energy use”

“efforts in some cities to reduce emissions as part of a larger strategy to ease traffic and other problems. For example, central London's Congestion Charging Zone is intended to encourage more use of mass transit”

“A set of concepts and tools that cut across knowledge areas is needed to improve the understanding of how urban vulnerability is characterized and determined by issues such as thresholds, tipping points, second and third order impacts, and responses”

Related articles

• Vulnerability of Communities to Climate Change Impacts (pollutionfree.wordpress.com)
• How Should Cities Plan to Reduce Health Impacts from Climate Change? (pollutionfree.wordpress.com)
• Climate change poses major risks for unprepared cities (eurekalert.org)
• Climate Change Poses Major Risks for Unprepared Cities (yubanet.com)
• World's Cities Unprepared for Climate Change (livescience.com)
• Climate change targets developing world's cities (scientificamerican.com)
• UN report: Cities ignore climate change at their peril (environmentaleducationuk.wordpress.com)
• Serious legislation to combat climate change dead in America (rajcairnsreport.wordpress.com)
• Mapping Human Vulnerability to Climate Change (via GIS and Science) (srnstrikha.wordpress.com)
• Climate Change Vulnerability Index 2011 (developmentwatchuk.wordpress.com)
• Environmental justice and adaptation to climate change (blogs.berkeley.edu)