Report: Massive Challenges, Opportunities in Adapting Cities to Climate Change

August 2024 was the hottest month on record, capping Earth’s hottest
summer since
global records began in 1880. Heat stress is now the leading cause of
weather-related deaths around the world, according to the World Health
Organization;
and with the typical “concrete jungle” characterized by a lack of green space
and a predominance of concrete structures and streets that absorb heat, urban
communities are disproportionately affected.

A growing number of organizations are working to address this by increasing
urban tree
cover,
facilitating community access to green
space,
and adding solar-reflective coatings to
buildings
and paved
areas
to help mitigate the heat island effect — but these efforts remain piecemeal, and urban communities are nervous.

A new report from The Economist Group’s Economist
Impact, supported by Zurich Insurance
Group,
highlights urban residents’ concerns about their cities’ readiness to handle the
impacts of climate change — as well as potential paths forward. Resilience
from the Ground Up: Assessing City-Level Approaches to Climate Risk and
Adaptation
is based on comprehensive research including a literature review, interviews
with 15 climate experts, and a general population survey involving 5,000
residents from 10 major cities around the world: Amsterdam, Cairo,
Cape Town, Dubai, Jakarta, Madrid, Mumbai, New York
City, São Paulo and Tokyo.

The study delves into how urban residents perceive climate change, the necessary
adaptations for their cities and their sense of personal accountability toward
climate issues. The insights aim to provide actionable strategies for building
resilient urban environments capable of withstanding the increasingly intense
effects of climate change.

Key findings

Unsurprisingly, the study reveals that cities are not prepared for climate
risks; and this lack of readiness threatens residents’ safety, health and
livelihoods. As Janice Barnes —
founder of Climate Adaptation Partners
— points out, climate resilience is about more than surviving the next flood,
drought or heatwave; it is about ensuring that our communities, cities and
economies can thrive in the face of accelerating climate risks: “Every
investment must be considered with climate in mind,” she says.

The overall lack of confidence in the ability of urban systems to withstand the
growing impacts of climate change reflects gaps in urban planning and
infrastructure readiness. City dwellers rightly fear that the systems they rely
on — public transport, water supplies, energy
grids
— cannot handle the accelerating impacts of climate change.

Sunandan Tiwari,
director of global implementation at ICLEI – Local Governments for
Sustainability, asserts that the time to shift from reactive
disaster responses to proactive climate-resilience
planning
— as seen in communities such as Florida’s Babcock
Ranch
and Ramboll’s new Neighbourhood Futures
framework
— is running out: “Cities must develop systems that can absorb climate shocks
beyond current capacities,” he says.

Perceptions of cities’ climate preparedness vary. Among the 10 cities surveyed,
São Paulo, Tokyo and New York City are seen as the least prepared for
climate-related risks — with only 3 percent of respondents considering São Paulo
and Tokyo and 6 percent of NYC respondents considering their cities “very
prepared.” In contrast, Cairo is perceived as the most equipped to handle
climate risks — with over a third of respondents (37 percent) rating it as “very
prepared.” This relative confidence in Cairo’s readiness may be attributed to
its long-standing efforts to address key climate challenges such as water
scarcity. The city has made substantial progress in securing its water
future
by ensuring access to drinking water and sanitation for all residents. Another
factor may be Cairo’s prolonged experience facing these challenges, which may
have lessened residents’ concerns about their potential impacts.

The report also highlights case studies examining measures that cities including
London, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and Cary, North
Carolina are taking to bolster themselves to better withstand the increasingly
intense and frequent extreme-weather events taking place around the world.

“These findings reveal significant opportunities for communities to implement
steps to mitigate the growing impacts of climate change,” said Arooran
Sivasubramaniam,
Head of North America Zurich Resilience Solutions — which helps businesses
protect their people, property and operations from increasingly severe natural
hazards. “At ZRS, we are committed to helping organizations understand their
natural hazard vulnerabilities, assess potential impacts and develop effective
resilience plans.”

Public–private collaboration critical for urban climate resilience

Firstly, climate resilience is not just a job for environmental departments — it
spans sectors including transportation, housing, health and finance, which often
operate independently. But city governments cannot build resilience on their
own, and public-private collaboration is often lacking — 57 percent of survey
respondents cited this as a major barrier to effective climate adaptation in
their cities. The report stresses the need for innovation, commitment and
collective action among governments, businesses and individuals.

The report points out the opportunity and impetus for businesses to step up to
adapt to extreme
weather,
and to support individuals in making more meaningful changes. As the primary
source of urban economic activity and employment, businesses have a major role
to play. Companies have the resources and technical expertise to help develop
affordable solutions tailored to local needs, helping to bridge the gap between
national policy and local implementation.

By forging public–private partnerships and promoting transparent, inclusive
governance, we can prepare our cities to thrive in the face of climate risks.

To read the full report, click
here.

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Sustainable Brands Staff

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Published Oct 23, 2024 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST