http___metro-portal.hr_gradovi-zemalja-u-razvoju-najgore-ce-proci-zbog-klimatskih-promjena_57508_1.xml
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Cities — home to half the world's population — face potentially dire consequences from climate change. However, they often fall short when it comes to addressing the issue, according to an analysis of urban policies. “Climate change is a deeply local issue and poses profound threats to the growing cities of the world,” said Patricia Romero Lankao at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Colorado, who conducted the analysis. “But too few cities are developing effective strategies to safeguard their residents.” Romero Lankao cited cities for not reducing their own greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate global warming and for not preparing for the likely effects of climate change. [Cities Cover More of The Earth Than Realized] Scientists expect that climate change will bring with it more extreme weather, such as storms and heat waves. Because of their density and locations, cities are often at greater risk for natural disasters caused by extreme weather. Heavily paved cities can magnify heat, worsening air pollution and causing widespread health problems, for example. But even after recent natural disasters, such as the Russian heat wave of 2010, leaders are often failing to prepare, according to Romero Lankao. This is because fast-growing cities are overwhelmed with other needs, leaders are pressured to foster economic growth at the expense of health and safety standards, and climate projections rarely offer insight into the effects on individual cities, according to Romero Lankao. And in spite of their potential to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, cities often take a hands-off approach, she said. “Cities can have an enormous influence on emissions by focusing on mass transit systems and energy- efficient structures,” Romero Lankao said. “But local leaders face pressures to build more roads and relax regulations that could reduce energy use.” Meanwhile, another recent study found that people's acceptance of global warming waxes and wanes with the weather, so if the day is unusually cold, they would be less likely to believe humans are causing global temperatures on average to rise. Romero Lankao’s studies appear this month in a special issue of the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability (with co-author David Dodman of the International Institute for Environment and Development) and in an upcoming issue of the journal European Planning Studies. The research was conducted in association with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and funded by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's sponsor. You can follow LiveScience writer Wynne Parry on Twitter @Wynne_Parry.
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Gradovi zemalja u razvoju najgore će proći zbog klimatskih promjena Kako će brzorastući gradovi zemalja u razvoju reagirati na posljedice klimatskih promjena? Ne baš najbolje Brzorastuća urbana središta diljem svijeta, a naročito ona u zemljama u razvoju, disproporcionalno će biti na udaru klimatskih promjena, upozorila je Patricia Romero Lankao iz Nacionalnog centra za atmosferska istraživanja iz SAD-a dodavši da gradovi ne uspijevaju poduzeti potrebne mjere zaštite građana iako su milijarde urbanih stanovnika izložene toplotnim udarima, podizanju razine mora i drugim opasnostima koje su izravan rezultat klimatskih promjena. Njeno istraživanje pokazalo je da je većina gradova podbacila u pokušajima da se smanje ispuštanja štetnih plinova poput ugljičnog dioksida i ostalih stakleničkih plinova koji utječu na stanje u atmosferi. „Klimatske promjene su duboko lokalno (ne samo globalno) pitanje i predstavljaju veliku prijetnju rastućim gradovima diljem svijeta. Premalo gradova razvija učinkovite strategije zaštite svojih stanovnika", kazala je Lankao, sociologinja specijalizirana za klimatske promjene i urbani razvoj. Ona je analizirala politiku gradova diljem svijeta vezano za zaštitu građana na temelju nedavnih istraživanja klimatskih promjena i njihovih utjecaja na same urbane sredine. Gradovi su, prema njenim zaključcima, podbacili u dvije kategorije: pripremi za izravan udar posljedica klimatskih promjena i smanjenju emisije štetnih plinova kroz smanjenje potrošnje fosilnih goriva. Lokacije i gusti arhitektonsko-građevinski strukturni predlošci gradova često izlažu stanovnike većem riziku od prirodnih katastrofa, naročito onih koje će postati opasnije i češće zahvaljujući klimatskim promjenama. Potencijalne prijetnje povezane s klimom uključuju nalete oluja koje mogu rezultirati pojačanom naoblakom priobalnih područja ili produljenjem velikih vrućina koje mogu spržiti betonske gradove i okolna područja. Siromašniji dijelovi gradova koji nemaju osnovnu infrastrukturu u smislu sanitarija, pitke vode ili valjane ceste posebno su ranjivi. Pored svega toga treba spomenuti i činjenicu da se broj stanovnika povećava iz dana u dan, što je iznimno karakteristično za manja i srednje urbana područja koja najčešće nemaju organizirane javne službe ni infrastrukturu da bi se mogla nositi s porastom populacije, zaključila je Lankao. Detalji njena istraživanja objavljeni su u časopisu Aktualna mišljenja o ekološkoj održivosti (Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability).