Saturday, November 24, 2012

Asian cities at highest risk to climate change, study says


Two Indian cities – Kolkata and Mumbai – are among the top ten facing the highest risk from climate change, according to a study released last week by Maplecroft, a British consultancy firm specializing in risk assessment.

The most vulnerable is Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka followed by Manila in the Philippines and Bangkok in Thailand. Kolkata is ranked seventh and Mumbai is eighth. India’s capital city Delhi ranks 20 among the 50 on the vulnerability index.
New York City, which bore the brunt of Hurricane Sandy, is listed at 41.
The report warns that countries experiencing economic growth of above 5% should not ignore how climate change can impact people and businesses.
“As global corporations expand into the emerging growth markets, their operations and supply chains will become exposed to a complex set of climate risks that have the potential to disrupt business continuity,” said Helen Hodge, Maplecroft’s Head of Maps and Indices.
New York City, however, is categorized only as “medium risk” because of its quick response to Hurricane Sandy.
“The country’s strong economy and infrastructure, coupled with the extensive preparations before the storm’s landfall, enabled a relatively rapid return to operations for many businesses and services, with some of New York’s major airports and the New York Stock Exchange reopening only two days after the storm,” the study said.
While Hurricane Sandy hit New York, an almost equally ferocious Cyclone Nilam hit the southeastern coast of India in October. Sandy has caused damages and economic losses of $50 billion to U.S. northeast region.

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more about climate change:

Transportation and Sustainability Best Practices Background

Tackling Urban Sprawl: New Urbanism and Eco-Towns

Research on Factors Relating to Density and Climate Change

Sustainable Transportation: Key to Climate Change Mitigation

China's Urban Low Carbon Future in Shanghai

Globalisation, Cleaner Energy and Mega-Cities: Options and Messages for Turkey/Istanbul

Urban Resilience: Research Prospectus, A Resilience Alliance Initiative for Transitioning Urban Systems towards Sustainable Futures

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