(Source:Sahari Bikas Vol. 11, No. 19. pp. 32-33, 2011)
Introduction
This short paper deals with how cities in Nepal should respond to the emerging climate change issues. Within a short period, urban policy has undergone many changes in the process of being aligned to the changing needs and priorities of national development. Starting with a peripheral position in the national policy debate just a few decade ago, it has turned out to be a matter of critical concern for any sector in Nepal. The contribution of cities to national economy has greatly increased over the last few decades. The way our cities develop will have impacts on the economy as well as the environment. For any activity, they provide not only the site but also input in the form of urban goods and services. Nepal, being a very poor country, must strive for high national income. The challenge facing our cities is how to help realize this goal while following sustainable pathways. It is heartening to note that awareness on the threats of climate change is growing at a rapid pace. Cities are the centres of high consumption and the primary source of green house gases (GHG). It has become necessary to find strategies that will allow our cities develop with potential for mitigation, which will help reduce the cost of adaptation in the future.
Climate Change
Climate change and global warming due to GHG emission is a matter of growing concern for all. Nepal is no exception to it. Although, Nepal’s contribution to the total GHG contribution of the world is very low, she is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The problem is further aggravated due to widespread poverty, landslides, and dependence on rain-fed agriculture.
The terms “adaptation” and “mitigation” are the key to responding to climate change issues. They should be made to complement each other in an overall strategy to reduce GHG emission. The International Panel of Climate Change has defined mitigation as “an anthropogenic intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of GHGs”. The goal of adaptation is to enhance the ability of the city to face the threats of climate change. It should adjust to climate change including variability and extremes to curb potential damage; to take advantage of opportunities; or to cope with the consequences. The adaptive capacity of a city increases as it builds resilience to deal with the negative impact and use benefits that may occur from climate change.
Issues and Challenges
Cities struggling to adapt to climate change may not be able to mitigate it. This will make them more unsustainable. A city to be sustainable should be able to adapt to climate change without undermining mitigation.
There is huge technological and economic potentials for reducing GHG emissions. However, changes in lifestyles and some social and behavioural trend have led to an increasing use of energy. Although developed countries are more responsible for the climate change, our cities are also following their path of development. The outside forces emanating from the operation of the global economy generally lead our cities to imitate “high standard” lifestyles that may not match with our needs. They resort to technologies, which even when they are environment-freindly are too costly and complex in adapting to match with the needs and culture of our cities. In our case, dwelling units and vehicles are growing in size. Use of electrical equipments is increasing, There is alack of public awareness on environment-friendly approaches.
No matter how sustainably we design and develop our city, it will be exposed to several risks and threats. With the provision of more environmental goods and services, it will have comparative advantage for the placing of new investments. With the prosperity of the city, it will attract more migrants. There will be an increasing need to absorb and integrate the migrants with it. It will not be easy to cope with such changes.
Strategies for Climate Change Responsive Cities
Different ways of housing more people in a city are urban upgrading, town extension, and new developments. Their suitability will depend largely on their ability to mitigate GHG emission and adapt to climate change, Whether they will make the entire city more sustainable will depend also on how they interact with each other. Land development projects in different cities of Nepal use have helped to improve the urban environment. Land use planning should be used as an effective tool for controlling the growth of urban areas while ensuring sustainable urban mobility with a view to minimize GHG emissions. It should help to build adaptive capacity and aim to create a healthy and a pleasant environment.
Adaptation is more relevant while dealing with vulnerable poor communities. It is necessary to support them. It is not easy to make such communities resilient enough to cope with climate-related disasters; and they are susceptible to outside influence. Ability of a small community to adapt to natural changes is affected by actions made outside its boundary. It is necessary to mobilize and empower vulnerable communities to develop more affordable and convenient ways of adapting to the consequences of the climate change and variability.
Climate change response should be specific to local conditions. Local experiences are built on the lessons going back for generations. It becomes necessary for cities to organize programs on environmental education. People should made aware of climate change; and solutions should be sought within the scope of the ongoing processes of development at the action level. Here, the people ad communities are taking decisions that have far reaching consequences on environment. The solution to most of the environmental problems lies on their initiatives and drive to use resources wisely. We have to rely on the people as the true custodian of our city for the upkeep of its identity and environment. We should integrate the new migrants flooding to our cities; and safeguard our identity and interest against outside influence.
Conclusion
Urban form plays a vital role in helping cities respond to climate change. If cities are not well managed, there will be congestion and overcrowding. The consumption of energy can be very high due to traffic congestion; and cities will be less sustainable. Deliberate urbanization of potential areas with sustainable provision of housing and jobs for the increasing population should be encouraged. In making cities responsive to climate change, the role of its residents is critical. Their collective ownership of the city and their understanding of the threats of climate change will make the city resist outside forces that try to impair the local resilience. They should be enabled to protect the natural capital they create from being exploited. External support for adaptation should be linked with the city’s potential to create carbon sinks and curb GHG emissions. The proper use of adaptation fund will allow for claiming more funds in the future. In other words, what we receive for being more sustainable should be spent in a sustainable way to justify more funding in the future.