Page 8 - AsiaElec Week 26 2022

AsiaElec CLIMATE CHANGE AsiaElec

Poorer cities the most

exposed to climate change

ASIA AN increase in extreme weather events and and encourages the further adoption of inno-
natural disasters like flooding, heatwaves and vative technologies and urban living concepts
landslides will impact urban areas the hardest, such as the “15-minute city.”
making climate change adaptation a matter of Popularized in Paris, Melbourne and other
paramount importance, the UN has warned. places, it envisages that residents can meet most
The UN said its World Cities Report 2022, of their daily needs within a 15-minute journey.
released at the World Urban Forum in Poland, The warned that in the worst case scenario,
said urban areas were responsible for 70% cent extreme poverty could increase by 32T or 213
of greenhouse gas emissions, which means million people, by 2030. Under this scenario, the
cities must act as leaders of climate action to impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,
meet the 1.5 degree Celsius goal set by the Paris as well as global economic uncertainties, envi-
Agreement. ronmental challenges, and wars and conflicts
Amid warnings about the dangers facing cit- in different parts of the world could have long-
ies, from a sudden global spike in inflation and term impacts on the future of cities.
cost of living, supply chain disruptions, climate Cities are now home to 55% of the world’s
change and new armed conflicts, the report, population, and that figure is expected to grow
called Envisaging the Future of Cities, detailed to 68% by 2050. This translates into an increase
an optimistic vision in which cities are more of 2.2 billion urban residents, living mostly in
equitable, greener and more knowledge-based. Africa and Asia.
“With the right policies and the right com- There is a divide between the needs of cities in
mitment from governments, our children can the developing and developed world. In devel-
inherit an urban future that is more inclusive, oped countries, the key priorities for the future
greener, safer and healthier,” said Maimunah of cities also include managing cultural diver-
Mohd Sharif, UN Under-Secretary-General sity, upgrading and modernizing ageing infra-
and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, which structure, addressing shrinking and declining
produced the report. cities, and meeting the needs of an increasingly
“We must start by acknowledging that the ageing population.
status quo leading up to 2020 was in many In developing countries, urban priorities
ways an unsustainable model of urban develop- for the future are rising levels of poverty, pro-
ment, and take the best practices learned in our viding adequate infrastructure, affordable and
responses to COVID-19 and the climate crisis.” adequate housing and addressing challenge of
This new report calls for greater commitment slums, high levels of youth unemployment, and
by national, regional and local governments, investing in secondary cities.™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 26 29•June•2022