Climate and cities

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Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2011 Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2011 Cape Town, 27 Cape Town, 27 th th February February - 3 rd rd March March Session C1: Resilient Cities Session C1: Resilient Cities Climate Change and African Cities: Climate Change and African Cities: vulnerability, poverty and the role of vulnerability, poverty and the role of community community-based adaptation based adaptation Dr David Dodman Dr David Dodman [email protected] [email protected] International Institute for Environment and Development International Institute for Environment and Development www.iied.org www.iied.org

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Transcript of Climate and cities

Page 1: Climate and cities

Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2011Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2011Cape Town, 27Cape Town, 27thth February February -- 33rdrd MarchMarchSession C1: Resilient CitiesSession C1: Resilient Cities

Climate Change and African Cities: Climate Change and African Cities: vulnerability, poverty and the role of vulnerability, poverty and the role of

communitycommunity--based adaptationbased adaptation

Dr David DodmanDr David [email protected] [email protected]

International Institute for Environment and DevelopmentInternational Institute for Environment and Developmentwww.iied.orgwww.iied.org

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[Source: Parry et al (2009). ‘Overshoot, adapt and recover’. [Source: Parry et al (2009). ‘Overshoot, adapt and recover’. NatureNature 458, 30 April 2009.]458, 30 April 2009.]

Climate Change Impacts and Vulnerability in Urban AreasClimate Change Impacts and Vulnerability in Urban Areas

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Vulnerability to Climate ChangeVulnerability to Climate Change

The degree to which a system is susceptible to, and The degree to which a system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change, unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes. Vulnerability is including climate variability and extremes. Vulnerability is a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of climate change and variation to which a system is climate change and variation to which a system is exposedexposed, its , its sensitivitysensitivity, and its , and its adaptive capacityadaptive capacity..

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Cities at Risk: what makes cities vulnerable?Cities at Risk: what makes cities vulnerable?

UNFCCC commits developed countries “to assist UNFCCC commits developed countries “to assist developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting costs of the adverse effects of climate change in meeting costs of adaptation to those adverse effects” adaptation to those adverse effects” –– but what is but what is “particularly vulnerable”?“particularly vulnerable”?

•• No agreed measure of vulnerability (or adaptation)No agreed measure of vulnerability (or adaptation)•• ‘Exposure’ does not take social / economic ‘Exposure’ does not take social / economic

characteristics into accountcharacteristics into account•• LDCs or low HDI do not take biogeographical LDCs or low HDI do not take biogeographical

characteristics into accountcharacteristics into account•• TechnicalTechnical and and Political Political challengechallenge

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Cities at Risk: what makes cities vulnerable?Cities at Risk: what makes cities vulnerable?

i)i) Cities in geographically sensitive Cities in geographically sensitive locations (locations (exposedexposed to hazards)to hazards)

ii)ii) Cities with physical and social Cities with physical and social sensitivitysensitivity (population, governance)(population, governance)

iii)iii) Cities with lower levels of Cities with lower levels of adaptive adaptive capacitycapacity (ability of stakeholders to (ability of stakeholders to cope and change)cope and change)

iv)iv) Cities that have contributed little to Cities that have contributed little to the problem of climate change (low the problem of climate change (low emissions)emissions)

Tudor Settlement,Tudor Settlement,Mombasa, KenyaMombasa, Kenya

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[Source: Hunt A, Watkiss P (2011). ‘Climate change impacts and adaptation in cities: a review of the literature’ Climatic Change 104: 13-49]

Major Case Studies on Urban Climate Change ImpactsMajor Case Studies on Urban Climate Change Impacts

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[Source: Hunt A, Watkiss P (2011). ‘Climate change impacts and adaptation in cities: a review of the literature’ Climatic Change 104: 13-49]

“... tools for urban climate impact assessment are “... tools for urban climate impact assessment are lacking... most existing analyses investigate only lacking... most existing analyses investigate only the physical vulnerability of cities to the direct the physical vulnerability of cities to the direct impacts of weather and climate events” impacts of weather and climate events”

HallegatteHallegatte and and CorfeeCorfee--MorlotMorlot (2011, p5)(2011, p5)

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Who lives or works in the Who lives or works in the locations most exposed to locations most exposed to hazards related to the direct or hazards related to the direct or indirect impacts of climate indirect impacts of climate change?change?

Who lives or works in locations Who lives or works in locations lacking the infrastructure that lacking the infrastructure that reduces risk?reduces risk?

Whose homes and Whose homes and neighbourhoods face greatest neighbourhoods face greatest risks when impacts occur?risks when impacts occur?

Social Aspects of Exposure to Climate ChangeSocial Aspects of Exposure to Climate Change

Harare,Harare,ZimbabweZimbabwe

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Gender, Age and VulnerabilityGender, Age and Vulnerability

•• damage to homes and neighbourhoods often damage to homes and neighbourhoods often affects women’s incomes more (incomeaffects women’s incomes more (income--earning activities often undertaken at home)earning activities often undertaken at home)

•• vulnerability from childvulnerability from child--rearing and domestic rearing and domestic responsibilities (access to food, water, sanitation)responsibilities (access to food, water, sanitation)

•• vulnerability from relocation: lack of safety and vulnerability from relocation: lack of safety and security in temporary accommodationsecurity in temporary accommodation

•• very young and elderly more affected by watervery young and elderly more affected by water--borne / waterborne / water--washed diseases, malnutrition, lack washed diseases, malnutrition, lack of mobility, psychological impactsof mobility, psychological impacts

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•• important: most urban important: most urban growth will be in lowgrowth will be in low--income countriesincome countries

•• city planning and city planning and governance can degovernance can de--link link development from COdevelopment from CO22

emissionsemissions

•• but must ensure that this but must ensure that this does not impose additional does not impose additional burdens on vulnerable burdens on vulnerable groupsgroups

Policy Responses: Mitigation in CitiesPolicy Responses: Mitigation in Cities

Iloilo, Philippines

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Reducing energy consumption in lowReducing energy consumption in low--income households income households (e.g. (e.g. WitsandsWitsands, South Africa), South Africa)

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“Adaptation can significantly reduce many potentially “Adaptation can significantly reduce many potentially dangerous impacts of climate change and reduce the risk of dangerous impacts of climate change and reduce the risk of many key vulnerabilities. However, the technical, financial many key vulnerabilities. However, the technical, financial and institutional capacity, and the actual planning and and institutional capacity, and the actual planning and implementation of effective adaptation, is currently quite implementation of effective adaptation, is currently quite limited in many regions”limited in many regions”

IPCC Fourth AssessmentIPCC Fourth AssessmentChapter 19: Assessing Key Vulnerabilities and the Risks from Climate ChangeChapter 19: Assessing Key Vulnerabilities and the Risks from Climate Change

Adaptation to Climate ChangeAdaptation to Climate Change

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Adaptation to Climate Change: Adaptation to Climate Change: Improving InfrastructureImproving Infrastructure

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[Source: Jabeen [Source: Jabeen et al.et al. (2009)](2009)]

Adaptation to Climate Change: Adaptation to Climate Change: Improving InfrastructureImproving Infrastructure

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Adaptation: Adaptation: Supporting Coping StrategiesSupporting Coping Strategies

TandaleTandale, Dar , Dar eses SalaamSalaam

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Community Based AdaptationCommunity Based Adaptation

• based on the premise that local communities have the skills, experience, knowledge and networks to undertake locally appropriate activities to increase resilience

• generates adaptation strategies through participatory processes involving local stakeholders

• builds on existing cultural norms and addresses local development issues that underlie vulnerability

• potential in urban areas:both under-stated and over-stressed

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Social and Political Implications of AdaptationSocial and Political Implications of Adaptation

•• cannot separate adaptation to ‘climate change’ cannot separate adaptation to ‘climate change’ from adaptation to other environmental hazardsfrom adaptation to other environmental hazards

•• NAPAs (National Adaptation Programmes of NAPAs (National Adaptation Programmes of Action): often have little focus on urban areasAction): often have little focus on urban areas

•• rigorous building and infrastructure standards:rigorous building and infrastructure standards:potentially costly and inappropriate?potentially costly and inappropriate?

•• vulnerability and risk mapping: vulnerability and risk mapping: legitimatinglegitimating removal of informal settlements?removal of informal settlements?

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Addressing Vulnerability and RiskAddressing Vulnerability and Risk

Key Responses: building adaptive capacityKey Responses: building adaptive capacity

•• in tens of thousands of towns and cities around in tens of thousands of towns and cities around Africa and the worldAfrica and the world

•• working with reduction of risks to other working with reduction of risks to other environmental hazards and building on environmental hazards and building on experiences of reducing disaster riskexperiences of reducing disaster risk

•• developing strong developing strong locallocal knowledge base of climate knowledge base of climate variability and changevariability and change

•• encouraging actions that reduce risks encouraging actions that reduce risks nownow, while , while recognizing importance of measures for longrecognizing importance of measures for long--termterm

•• with a strong prowith a strong pro--poor orientationpoor orientation

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Addressing Vulnerability and RiskAddressing Vulnerability and Risk

Key Responses: institutions and governanceKey Responses: institutions and governance

•• supporting adaptation in rural areas supporting adaptation in rural areas •• integrating (where appropriate) with mitigationintegrating (where appropriate) with mitigation•• building competence and accountability of local building competence and accountability of local

authorities and changing their relationship to lowauthorities and changing their relationship to low--income urban residentsincome urban residents

•• recognizing complementary roles of higher levels recognizing complementary roles of higher levels of government and international agenciesof government and international agencies

•• encouraging and supporting contributions of encouraging and supporting contributions of individuals, households, community organizations, individuals, households, community organizations, private sectorprivate sector

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Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2011Local Climate Solutions for Africa 2011Cape Town, 27Cape Town, 27thth February February -- 33rdrd MarchMarchSession C1: Resilient CitiesSession C1: Resilient Cities

Climate Change and African Cities: Climate Change and African Cities: vulnerability, poverty and the role of vulnerability, poverty and the role of

communitycommunity--based adaptationbased adaptation

Dr David DodmanDr David [email protected] [email protected]

International Institute for Environment and DevelopmentInternational Institute for Environment and Developmentwww.iied.orgwww.iied.org