Recently, UN-Habitat’s “World Cities Report 2024: Cities and Climate Action” report presented important findings about urban areas being affected by the climate crisis and the greenhouse gas emissions they generate.
Key findings of World Cities Report 2024
- Vulnerability to climate change: It is estimated that more than 2 billion people living in urban areas may be vulnerable to an additional temperature increase of up to 5°C by 2040.
- Lack of funding: Urban areas need $5-5.4 trillion per year to build climate-resilient systems, but currently only $831 billion in funding is available.
- Shrinking green cover: The share of green cover in urban areas was 20% in 1990, which has declined to 14% in 2020.
- Negative impacts on vulnerable communities: Some climate interventions, such as “green gentrification,” can inadvertently create problems for vulnerable communities, such as displacement and increased property values.
Recommendations
- Revenue mobilization tools: Mobilize climate finance through debt, public-private partnerships (PPPs) and other tools.
- Integration of climate action into urban planning: Enhance urban resilience by supporting protection and nature-based solutions: Strengthen social protection measures for vulnerable communities and adopt nature-based solutions to tackle the climate crisis.locally driven efforts and incorporating climate action into urban plans.
About UN-Habitat
- Establishment: In 1978, UN-Habitat was founded at the Habitat I Conference.
- Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.
- Objective: Promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities.
- Partners: Partnerships with various governmental and non-governmental organizations, UN agencies, civil society organizations and the private sector.
- Important documents: “Vancouver Declaration” (Habitat I) and “Istanbul Declaration” (Habitat II).
Greenhouse Gases
- Greenhouse gases (GHGs) are gases that are naturally present in the Earth’s atmosphere, but their quantity has increased due to many human-caused activities. These gases allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere and absorb the heat produced by it and re-emit it. Greenhouse gases act as a kind of “thermal blanket” in the atmosphere, which keeps the temperature stable by preventing some of the heat from leaving the Earth’s surface. This is called the greenhouse effect, which provides the Earth with a favorable temperature for life.
Major greenhouse gases
- Carbon dioxide (CO₂): It is mainly produced by the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), deforestation and some industrial processes. It is the most abundant human-caused greenhouse gas.
- Methane (CH₄): This gas is emitted from agriculture (especially animal husbandry), waste management and oil and gas production. Its greenhouse effect is many times greater than that of CO₂.
- Nitrous oxide (N₂O): It is mainly emitted from agriculture, use of fertilizers and industrial activities. It is also a highly potent greenhouse gas, which contributes greatly to climate change.
- Water vapor: It is the most abundant natural greenhouse gas. Although it is not produced directly by human activities, its quantity in the atmosphere increases due to the increase in other greenhouse gases, which leads to an increase in temperature.