What cities are affected by global warming?
Answers from top 8 papers
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| Papers (8) | Insight |
|---|---|
172 Citations | Many inhabitants of cities throughout the world suffer from health problems and discomfort that are caused by overheating of urban areas, and there is compelling evidence that these problems will be exacerbated by global climate change. |
32 Citations | Since, the other regional changes are fairly linear in function of the global warming (except precipitation), the smaller the warming, the more tolerable the targeted urban climate stresses are. |
8 Citations | As such, it encounters strong influences due to global warming, as well as urbanization. |
12 Citations | We argue that simplifying and focusing city-scale GHG accounting on these sources would improve the policy-relevance of city-scale GHG accounting and make it easier for cities to play effective roles in the global mobilization to limit warming to “well below” 2 degrees C. |
16 Citations | Moreover, where some political analysts and scholars have argued that climate protection and environmental policies may not be economically rational for cities to pursue, we theorize that cities are acting locally to further their self-interest in an increasingly global economy. |
18 Citations | We find that many extreme weather events are likely to be significantly affected by global warming. |
66 Citations | These two cities illuminate the policy-making process for global warming at the urban level and the role ‘{atpolicy entrepreneurs}’ can play at this level. |
| These results help us understand the climates for which cities must prepare in a warming, urbanizing world. |
Related Questions
How does climate change impact city?5 answersClimate change impacts cities in various ways, affecting urban areas both directly and indirectly. Cities in the Baltic Sea region face vulnerabilities due to temperature rise, natural hazards, and extreme events, with potential impacts on urban climatic conditions and urban floods influenced by local decisions on soil sealing and infrastructure development. The global trend towards urbanization, with a projected 85% of the population living in cities by the end of the century, highlights the vulnerability of urban infrastructure systems to climate change impacts, emphasizing the need for understanding worst-case scenarios and pre-emptive adaptation efforts. Urban areas play a crucial role in local to regional climate dynamics, with urban processes affecting heat and moisture fluxes, air pollution dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry, making cities increasingly vulnerable to extreme events like heat waves exacerbated by the urban heat island effect. Mitigation and adaptation measures in cities, such as efficient energy consumption, green infrastructure, and spatial planning, are essential to reduce climate-induced vulnerabilities and enhance resilience. Additionally, coastal villages like Tanjung Mas in Semarang City face challenges such as tidal floods, water scarcity, and increased disease risks due to climate change impacts, highlighting the importance of achieving healthy city goals through improved settlement quality and infrastructure resilience.
Why are cities expecially vulnerable to climate change?4 answersCities are especially vulnerable to climate change due to several factors. Firstly, cities contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, making them a major cause of climate change. Secondly, cities are densely populated, with a large concentration of people and infrastructure, which increases their exposure to climate change hazards. Additionally, urbanization and the nature of urban systems can exacerbate climate-induced vulnerabilities, such as drinking water shortages and health impacts. Furthermore, cities often experience the urban heat island effect, leading to higher temperatures and increased risks during heatwaves. Finally, cities face challenges in adapting to climate change, as the effectiveness of adaptation measures can be limited and may even lead to unintended negative consequences. Overall, the combination of these factors makes cities highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
How do urban areas contribute to climate change?5 answersUrban areas contribute to climate change through various mechanisms. Cities modify heat and moisture fluxes, affect local atmospheric chemistry and composition, and contribute to air pollution dispersion. The urban heat island effect, caused by the replacement of natural landscapes with materials that have higher heat capacity, leads to higher temperatures in cities, especially during heat waves. Urbanization also drives urban warming by changing wind speed, with decreased wind speed leading to increased temperature differences between urban and rural areas. Additionally, urbanization-induced land use change can contribute to surface temperature changes, with cities built in vegetated areas experiencing warming and cities built in non-vegetated arid areas experiencing cooling. These contributions from urban areas to climate change highlight the need for proper parameterization of urban processes in climate models and the importance of considering urbanization in climate mitigation policies.
What are climate change impacts in European cities?5 answersClimate change impacts in European cities include increased flood risks, heatwaves, and drought conditions. Heatwaves are expected to increase across all cities, with the greatest temperature increases projected in central European cities. Flood exposure has also increased due to climate change and urban development, with observed growth in impervious surfaces and changes in extreme precipitation events. Additionally, climate change is likely to affect urban temperatures, posing challenges to quality of life and sustainable urban development. European cities report physical risks from climate change, such as more intense rainfall, and social risks, including increased vulnerability of already vulnerable populations. However, cities also see economic opportunities arising from climate change and are implementing adaptation measures to address these challenges. Nature-based solutions are being explored as a means to increase adaptive capacity and reduce the negative effects of climate change in urban areas.
How is climate change affecting urban environments?5 answersClimate change is affecting urban environments in several ways. Rising temperatures and increased frequency of heat waves due to climate change are leading to higher heat stress in urban areas, especially during nighttime, which has significant consequences for human health. The urban heat island effect exacerbates these high temperatures in cities. Additionally, climate change impacts urban areas through changes in precipitation patterns, leading to heavy precipitation and droughts, as well as sea level rise, which can paralyze urban areas. Urban planning and design need to consider these climate change impacts to create more resilient and sustainable cities. Proper parameterization of urban processes in climate models is also important to understand and simulate local and regional climate change in cities. Overall, climate change poses significant challenges to urban environments and requires adaptation and mitigation strategies to protect human health and ensure the resilience of cities.
How does climate change impact urban resilience?5 answersClimate change impacts urban resilience in several ways. Firstly, it increases the vulnerability of cities to climate-related disturbances such as heatwaves and extreme weather events, which can disrupt the functioning of urban infrastructure and services. Secondly, climate change intensifies urban overheating during heatwave events, leading to increased heat stress on the population. Strategies such as implementing cool materials, street trees, and densification can help reduce exposure to heat and create cooler settlements. Thirdly, changing climate patterns, including temperature, precipitation, and wind speed, can directly affect urban resilience. Higher temperatures and increased precipitation have a positive impact on urban resilience, while higher wind speeds have a negative effect. Understanding these impacts is crucial for developing effective policies and strategies to enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change.