EcoCities and climate change
There is widespread acknowledgement that climate change is with us and set to intensify. With greenhouse gases such as CO2 having a delayed impact on the climate system, even if emissions were stopped tomorrow, there would be decades of climate change to contend with.
Urban areas face particular challenges that relate to the relationship between the built environment and climate change, with flood risk, heat stress and ground instability of particular concern. Moreover, urban areas are often densely populated putting large number of people at risk of climate impacts.
Responding to the threats associated with climate change is therefore an important element of creating sustainable cities for the future.