Talk of The Town
Urbanisation offers many opportunities to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies to deal with climate change. Given that the highest global energy consumption occurs in cities, roughly half of it from burning fossil fuels for urban transport, the solution seems obvious. This is due to the fact that the economies of scale produced by the concentration of economic activities in cities also make it cheaper and easier to take action to minimise both emissions and climate hazards.
The social, economic and political actors within cities must, therefore, become key players in developing these strategies. Many towns and cities, especially in developing countries, are still grappling with climate change strategies, working out how to access international climate change funding and how to learn from pioneering cities. Experts predict that by the year 2050, the global population will have increased by 50 per cent from what it was in 1999. Also by that time, global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) must decrease by 50 per cent compared to levels at the turn of the millennium. We can take this as the “three 50s challenge”.
As there is a significant contribution of cities to climate change, the greatest challenge currently being faced by humanity is the linkage between urbanisation and climate change. Climate-induced risks such as rising sea levels, tropical cyclones, heavy precipitation events and extreme weather conditions can disrupt the basic fabric and functioning of cities with widespread reverberations for the physical infrastructure, economy and social life. Prevention can be greatly enhanced through better land-use planning and building codes so that cities ensure their residents, especially the poorest, are protected as best as possible against diasters — be it drought, floods or other calamities.
The UN-HABITAT’s Report 2011 reveals the shocking finding that GHGEs in cities account for up to 70 per cent of the world’s pollution, much of it coming from fossil fuel consumption. In Nepal, the rapid growth of population in urban and peri-urban areas that have economic consequences of an estimated loss of over US$ 140 million annually in terms of health expenses and loss of productivity. The country has been urbanising rapidly with high rates of rural-urban migration.
Since 1700, the global population growth has been going up; and throughout the last 50 years, it has been unprecedented. Today’s population trend raises the question how a population of 7 billion will affect the rest of the century. It has been projected that the population will reach 8 billion in 2025 and 9 billion in 2043. Nepal’s case is slightly different as the preliminary result of the 2011 census revealed that the population of Nepal stands at 26.6 million, adding 3.45 million at an average growth rate of 1.40 per cent during the last 10 years, with Kathmandu being the most dense city (4,408) and Manang the least dense (3). Urban population constitutes about 17 per cent of the total and shows an increasing trend. Among urban areas, Kathmandu Metropolis has a population of 1,006,656 and Dhulikhel has the lowest population of 16,406. Likewise, the rural population decreased from 86 per cent in 2001 to 83 percent in 2011.
Those who want to know what city life will be like in the future should not look at rich, well run mega cities like Tokyo, because cities like Kathmandu are not comparable with them in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The International Institute of Environment and Development has compared the per capita emissions in 100 of the world’s great cities, and revealed that over 80 per cent of the world’s GHGs come from cities and city dwellers.
There are many ways to reduce energy consumption in cities. A modern,urban building spends 80 to 90 per cent of its energy budget on cooling, heating, ventilation, lighting and appliances. In cold climates, better insulation of walls, roofs, floors and windows is essential. Energy-efficient appliances and lighting solutions, such as skylights, automated lighting and low-energy bulbs make a huge difference. Also, lighting accounts for around 17 per cent of global energy consumption. In these circumstances, the next step is to generate power locally, because by going off-grid we will not lose energy in transmission. Further, if we make our houses energy efficient, only 3 per cent of the waste goes to landfill sites.
The government of Nepal has developed a national plan of action on climate change adaptation that identifies promising mitigation and adaptation measures to support more sustainable and resilient urban development. In addition, Nepal’s urban development programme reflects the government’s commitment to achieve significant improvement in the lives of slum dwellers in line with the Millennium Development Goals, municipal urban planning and promotion of urban safety and conviviality in public spaces.
In this new urban era, we must bear in mind that the greatest impact of disasters resulting from climate change begins and ends in cities. Cities have a great influence on climate change. This gives us opportunities because cities with people, industry and infrastructure can provide the best solutions when it comes to reducing GHGEs, improving coping mechanisms and reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate disruption. Therefore, it is time to reaffirm our commitment to a more sustainable future, with greater attention to climate change in cities and beyond.
RAJENDRA P SHARMA Bookmark
The role of cities in producing climate change, the impact
of climate disruption on cities and what cities are doing about it has been at
the centre of this year’s discourse on urbanisation. As our world grows
predominantly urban, we should reflect on how we can make our cities better and
smarter places to live in. Smart cities recognise the importance of good governance
that can help to mitigate climate change by promoting energy conservation and
environmental sustainability measures.
Urbanisation offers many opportunities to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies to deal with climate change. Given that the highest global energy consumption occurs in cities, roughly half of it from burning fossil fuels for urban transport, the solution seems obvious. This is due to the fact that the economies of scale produced by the concentration of economic activities in cities also make it cheaper and easier to take action to minimise both emissions and climate hazards.
The social, economic and political actors within cities must, therefore, become key players in developing these strategies. Many towns and cities, especially in developing countries, are still grappling with climate change strategies, working out how to access international climate change funding and how to learn from pioneering cities. Experts predict that by the year 2050, the global population will have increased by 50 per cent from what it was in 1999. Also by that time, global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) must decrease by 50 per cent compared to levels at the turn of the millennium. We can take this as the “three 50s challenge”.
As there is a significant contribution of cities to climate change, the greatest challenge currently being faced by humanity is the linkage between urbanisation and climate change. Climate-induced risks such as rising sea levels, tropical cyclones, heavy precipitation events and extreme weather conditions can disrupt the basic fabric and functioning of cities with widespread reverberations for the physical infrastructure, economy and social life. Prevention can be greatly enhanced through better land-use planning and building codes so that cities ensure their residents, especially the poorest, are protected as best as possible against diasters — be it drought, floods or other calamities.
The UN-HABITAT’s Report 2011 reveals the shocking finding that GHGEs in cities account for up to 70 per cent of the world’s pollution, much of it coming from fossil fuel consumption. In Nepal, the rapid growth of population in urban and peri-urban areas that have economic consequences of an estimated loss of over US$ 140 million annually in terms of health expenses and loss of productivity. The country has been urbanising rapidly with high rates of rural-urban migration.
Since 1700, the global population growth has been going up; and throughout the last 50 years, it has been unprecedented. Today’s population trend raises the question how a population of 7 billion will affect the rest of the century. It has been projected that the population will reach 8 billion in 2025 and 9 billion in 2043. Nepal’s case is slightly different as the preliminary result of the 2011 census revealed that the population of Nepal stands at 26.6 million, adding 3.45 million at an average growth rate of 1.40 per cent during the last 10 years, with Kathmandu being the most dense city (4,408) and Manang the least dense (3). Urban population constitutes about 17 per cent of the total and shows an increasing trend. Among urban areas, Kathmandu Metropolis has a population of 1,006,656 and Dhulikhel has the lowest population of 16,406. Likewise, the rural population decreased from 86 per cent in 2001 to 83 percent in 2011.
Those who want to know what city life will be like in the future should not look at rich, well run mega cities like Tokyo, because cities like Kathmandu are not comparable with them in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The International Institute of Environment and Development has compared the per capita emissions in 100 of the world’s great cities, and revealed that over 80 per cent of the world’s GHGs come from cities and city dwellers.
There are many ways to reduce energy consumption in cities. A modern,urban building spends 80 to 90 per cent of its energy budget on cooling, heating, ventilation, lighting and appliances. In cold climates, better insulation of walls, roofs, floors and windows is essential. Energy-efficient appliances and lighting solutions, such as skylights, automated lighting and low-energy bulbs make a huge difference. Also, lighting accounts for around 17 per cent of global energy consumption. In these circumstances, the next step is to generate power locally, because by going off-grid we will not lose energy in transmission. Further, if we make our houses energy efficient, only 3 per cent of the waste goes to landfill sites.
The government of Nepal has developed a national plan of action on climate change adaptation that identifies promising mitigation and adaptation measures to support more sustainable and resilient urban development. In addition, Nepal’s urban development programme reflects the government’s commitment to achieve significant improvement in the lives of slum dwellers in line with the Millennium Development Goals, municipal urban planning and promotion of urban safety and conviviality in public spaces.
In this new urban era, we must bear in mind that the greatest impact of disasters resulting from climate change begins and ends in cities. Cities have a great influence on climate change. This gives us opportunities because cities with people, industry and infrastructure can provide the best solutions when it comes to reducing GHGEs, improving coping mechanisms and reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate disruption. Therefore, it is time to reaffirm our commitment to a more sustainable future, with greater attention to climate change in cities and beyond.
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Posted on: Kathmandu post: 2011-10-18 08:23
Author: Rajendra P Sharma
Sharma is a consultant at Urban-Rural Development and associated with the Centre for Development Studies in Kathmandu
a good article
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