Climate Change

Key findings (Climate Change) Part 1

Cities1 are home to over half of the world’s people and are at the forefront of the climate change issue. Climate change exerts added stress on urban areas through increased numbers of heat waves threatening the health of the elderly, the infirm, and the very young; more frequent and intense droughts and inland floods compromising […]

Key findings (Climate Change) Part 2

Climate change, water, and wastewater in cities Urban water systems include water supply sources, conveyance, distribution, reuse, treatment, and disposal elements, all of which may be vulnerable to a changing climate (Figure 5). Within cities, impervious surfaces and increased precipitation intensity can overwhelm current drainage systems. In Mexico City, the city’s 27 treatment facilities currently […]

Cross-cutting issues (Climate Change)

A city’s land use and governance practices are integrally bound up in the climate change issue. Past zoning and land use decisions are key factors because they create the essential circumstances from which climate-related vulnerabilities may arise. Local powers and the larger governance environment will influence what can actually be done, and at what pace. […]

Cities act (Climate Change)

Cities around the world are highly vulnerable to climate change, but have great potential to lead on both adaptation and mitigation efforts. Despite the economic and political constraints that many cities face, they are serving as important laboratories for climate change action. These efforts have produced much helpful climate risk and response information. In order […]

About the First Assessment Report on Climate Change and Cities (ARC3)

The First Assessment Report on Climate Change and Cities (ARC3) presents a comprehensive assessment of the most significant issues for cities as they face the climate change challenge. It was launched by the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) in November 2008, with the goal of providing the scientific basis for city action in the […]

Introduction (Urban Climate Change in Context)

Cities,1 as home to over half the world’s people, are at the forefront of the challenge of climate change. Climate change exerts added stress on urban environments through increased numbers of heat waves threatening the health of the elderly, the ill, and the very young; more frequent and intense droughts and inland floods threatening water […]

ARC3 structure and process (Urban Climate Change in Context)

The ARC3 represents a new "science-into-action" model for integrating climate change into highly complex urban areas that is of great interest to both academic researchers and urban decision-makers as they seek to bridge theory and practice. The first ARC3 provides an in-depth review of research on climate science, mitigation, and adaptation addressed from an urban […]

What urban decision-makers need to know about climate change

The process of creating ARC3 began with a scoping activity to solicit the key questions that urban policy makers need answered and to survey current topics in urban climate change research (UCCRN, 2008). Five questions were developed and sent to mayors, their staffs, and/or UCCRN research partners in approximately 45 C40 cities around the world […]

Urban climate change issues covered in ARC3

The ARC3 is divided into four parts: Introduction; Defining the risk framework; Urban sectors; and Cross-cutting issues. The topics within these sections relate to assessment of urban vulnerability and key climate hazards, mitigation and adaptation responses in urban sectors, and the roles of land use planning and governance in responding to climate change challenges. Vulnerability […]

Introduction (Cities, Disasters, and Climate risk)

Cities are central to the climate change challenge, and their position is ever more important as the world’s population is becoming increasingly urban. City governments can play an active role in attempting to mitigate climate change, as well as in sheltering their residents from the negative consequences of climate change. In this topic, we examine […]

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