NEW YORK: With eight of the world's 10 most populous cities situated near rivers or seas and already witnessing hazards of flooding, a United Nations-backed report calls on governments to take urgent steps to protect their cities from adverse effects of climate change.
"Ultimately, the cities hardest hit by climate change will be the ones least prepared," said Neeraj Prasad, the World Bank's Lead Environmental Specialist for the region.
The report "Climate Resilient Cities" jointly produced by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), the World Bank and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) also offers suggestion for making cities more resilient to withstand the effects of the disasters.
Global warming points towards more frequent and extreme weather events, the administration must take action to protect their cities sooner rather than later, the report urged.
It said that for every one metre rise in sea levels, there will be a corresponding 2 per cent drop in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to the decrease in fresh water, damage to agriculture and fisheries, disrupted tourism and reduced energy security, among other consequences.
The surging concentration of people in cities also steps up their susceptibility to climate-related damage, the report said.
The study cited East Asia as one of the world's most vulnerable areas. "We have seen events like the 2004 tsunami, and recently Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and a typhoon in the Philippines," said Jitendra J Shah, who coordinates the World Bank's environmental programme in Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand.
The report calls on cities to strategise for consequences of climate change and to mitigate future natural disasters. It calls for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Some measures the report recommends are simple, such as raising awareness of global warming's impact, promoting the use of bicycles and increasing the use of energy-efficient public transport vehicles.
Others measures entail legislation and increased investment, including providing fossil fuel alternatives and improving public infrastructure.
"Every city is different," said Prasad. "There is no cookie-cutter solution to climate change impacts. It's important that you are able to anticipate the likely impact of climate change on your city and make the decision."
