Climate change and cities
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What is done, or not done, in cities in relation to climate change over the next 5-10 years will affect hundreds of millions of people, because their lives and livelihoods are at risk from global warming. What is done in cities will also have a major influence on whether the escalating risks for the whole planet will be reduced or eliminated. Climate change needs to be considered in all development plans and investments - local, regional, national and international. Urban growth must be made more climate-resilient and help reduce, rather than increase, greenhouse gas emissions. This will not be done by the market; it can only be done by governments.
Key messages
- Urban centres in low- and middle-income nations provide homes to a large population increasingly vulnerable to the direct and indirect impacts of climate change.
- Most cities are at risk from extreme weather events independent of climate change because of the lack of investment in basic infrastructure.
- Adaptat...
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