Hibapress
More than two billion city dwellers around the world will be exposed to a temperature increase of 0.5°C by 2040, the United Nations said in a report released on Tuesday.
“Almost no urban dweller will be spared: billions of people will be subjected to higher temperatures or exposed to the risk of flooding and other threats,” UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach was quoted as saying. in this report which also points to a “significant” funding gap for resilient urban infrastructure.
The UN agency notes, in this regard, that cities need investments estimated between 4.5 and 5.4 billion dollars per year to build and maintain systems resilient to climate change.
However, current funding only amounts to $831 billion, only a “fraction” of the required amount, regret the authors of the report, noting that this deficit exposes cities, in particular their most vulnerable populations, to increasing risks.
The head of UN-Habitat further indicated that the people most exposed are “also those who already face persistent and chronic structural inequalities”, estimating that climate action in cities fails to match the scale of the challenges to be met.
“Informal settlements and slums, usually located in environmentally sensitive areas and lacking protective infrastructure, are often the most affected by climate-related disasters or extreme events,” she observed.
For the UN official, these vulnerable communities are not only more exposed to risk in the first place, but also less likely to receive aid once a shock occurs.
In the foreword to this report, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, for his part, called for “bold” investments and judicious planning so that cities can contribute to reducing gas emissions. greenhouse effect and adapt to the effects of climate change and sustainably support urban populations.
He noted that hundreds of cities are “leading the way in developing inclusive green spaces, reducing emissions through smart planning and construction, and investing in renewable energy to power public services like transportation networks.”
