Brussels, 19/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - European cities, which are already vulnerable to socio-economic and demographic change, will have to face susceptibility to extreme weather events - heatwaves, flooding, drought, and water shortages - both the frequency and intensity of which are expected to increase. For this vulnerability to be mitigated, European cities will have to be transformed by adopting a systemic approach to adaptation to climate change which promotes resilience and improves conditions for those who live there, according to a report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on Tuesday 19 July.
The report, “Urban adaptation to climate change in EUROPE 2016 - transforming cities in a changing climate”, provides an in-depth overview of actions that urban planners and policymakers can take to help lessen the impact of climate change, analyses the approaches cities can take to adaptation and shows that short-term coping or incremental adaptation measures alone will not be enough to mitigate the threats.
The challenge is great: the vulnerability of European cities will have a profound impact on a wide range of city functions, infrastructure and services, such as energy, transport, and water, and will affect the quality of life.
The EEA says that only a systemic approach that addresses the root causes of vulnerability to climate change will allow these challenges to be met successfully. This means better urban planning, with more green areas that can retain excess rainwater or cool built-up city cores in the summer, and preventing the construction of houses in flood-prone areas. Such an approach can transform cities into much more attractive, climate-resilient and sustainable places.
Some 100 cities, including Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Barcelona, Bologna and Bratislava, have already started to look at their vulnerability to climate change and have adopted adaptation schemes and strategies which they are beginning to implement. The EU strategy on adaptation and the initiative from the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy are steps in the right direction, the report says, but more needs to be done, as many more cities are not yet planning for climate change. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)