Green Development and Climate Adaptation for Urban and Rural Areas

The escalating risks posed by climate change make it imperative to urgently implement systematic climate adaptation measures. Climate change in interaction with non-climate drivers (demography, economic and land use development, existing policies and societal systems) is a risk multiplier for densely populated regions, cities and rural areas, in river basins, deltas and coastal areas. The increase in frequency and intensity of weather extremes due to climate change all over the world leads to severe economic damage, casualties and the disruption of communities, challenging disaster management systems and long-term adaptive capacities.

This study assesses the experiences of governments and others with disasters due to weather extremes and adaptation to climate change until today. Information was collected through field visits in some typical regions in China and NW-Europe, combined with the findings of empirical studies and case studies retrieved from literature. The study places climate adaptation in the context of longer-term resilience; outlines an assessment framework; and proposes priorities for improving climate resilience in densely populated areas and urban and rural development.

For further reading, please see the Global Commission on the Economics of Water’s report ‘The Economics of Water.’

Task Force: - Topic: Urban, Infrastructure and Transportation Year: 2024 Phase: Phase VII (2022-2027) Active