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Environmental Science and Engineering

Practical support for building sustainability into our cities

Interdisciplinary collaboration across all sectors is needed to build a sustainable urban future.

By integrating green spaces like parks, blue elements like rivers, and grey stormwater systems, green-blue-grey infrastructure (GBGI) enhances urban resilience, biodiversity and recreational spaces while addressing climate challenges. © Shutterstock

Climate change presents formidable, complex challenges for urban planners and policymakers around the world, from protecting the public from health risks to managing the threats posed by extreme weather events. To address these challenges and offer advice and solutions, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi, founder of the Urban Lab at KAUST, has compiled and edited a book entitled ‘Sustainable Cities in a Changing Climate: Enhancing Urban Resilience’[1].

The book offers a comprehensive guide for urban planners, policymakers and stakeholders, addressing the pressing challenges posed by climate change. Al-Ghamdi aims to provide practical tools and strategies to build resilience against climate threats, such as extreme weather and public health risks.

“Cities are facing unprecedented pressures, including rising temperatures, flash flooding, increasing incidence of vector-borne diseases and sea level rise. These challenges threaten the long-term sustainability of many cities and the well-being of their inhabitants,” says Al-Ghamdi. “By bringing together authors with a diverse range of expertise, this book aims to provide a comprehensive and timely exploration of the critical intersection between urban development, climate change and resilience.”

Al-Ghamdi’s own interdisciplinary research forms the basis for many of the themes touched on in the book.

Supporting the Middle East and beyond

The Middle East is one of the most water scarce regions in the world, and desertification and extreme heat present a significant threat to livelihoods and public health, with elderly and vulnerable people particularly at risk. Efficient and sustainable water management is crucial. So is the need for resilient energy systems — that power air-conditioning, for instance — highlighting the need to build and maintain a disruption-free energy network.

“The Middle East’s reliance on energy-intensive desalinated water is unsustainable,” says Al-Ghamdi. We need to adopt energy-efficient technologies, increase wastewater recycling and raise awareness about the environmental impacts of desalinated water consumption. Our energy networks also need to work seamlessly with all forms of energy generation.”

Effective management of the rapid growth and spread of urban areas is also important globally. Urban planners must “expect the unexpected” and, for example, ensure that built environments can cope with the intensifying storms and heavy rainfall in the MENA region.

“During rainstorms in Saudi Arabia, our coastal cities can act as dams that block water runoff, resulting in severe flash flooding and danger to life,” says Al-Ghamdi. “We need natural solutions for absorbing and diverting water to prevent flooding, hence the need for green-blue-grey infrastructure (GBGI).”

Natural flood management solutions

GBGI is a comprehensive solution for sustainable urban flood risk management. It involves combining green infrastructure such as parks and green roofs, blue infrastructure including rivers and wetlands, and grey infrastructure (stormwater drains, retention basins). By integrating these elements, cities can better manage flood risks while enhancing urban resilience.

“Such systems help regulate urban temperatures, manage stormwater and reduce flood risks. For example, Copenhagen’s Cloudburst Management Plan incorporates GBGI to handle extreme rainfall events,” says Mohammad M. Al-Humaiqani, a postdoc at Urban Lab. “GBGI also improves urban biodiversity, enhances recreational spaces and adapts to a rapidly evolving climate challenge.”

Helping urban communities adapt to climate change is an important strand throughout the book. Al-Ghamdi emphasises the importance of involving everyone in local planning and green initiatives, for example through workshops, education programs and participatory planning sessions in local communities.

Developing sustainable energy systems

Diversifying from fossil fuels to renewables and improving energy efficiency are pertinent goals for many countries. In regions like the Middle East, energy demand is high and climate conditions are harsh, adding extra pressure on the energy system.

“Policymakers should promote the development of decentralized energy systems, such as microgrids, that operate independently during disruptions,” says Al-Ghamdi. “Local microgrids specific to individual cities or even critical facilities like hospitals can maintain power when the wider national grid is under pressure.”

Boosting healthcare resilience

Al-Ghamdi’s book also covers climate-related public health challenges. It highlights the importance of developing local heat action plans, like the one implemented in Ahmedabad in India that includes an early warning system and a public education scheme, and modifying healthcare facilities to cope with heatwaves.

“Integrating climate considerations builds a resilient healthcare sector capable of withstanding multifaceted threats, thus safeguarding communities in the long term,” says Furqan Tahir, a postdoc at Urban Lab. “Healthcare systems need to be proactive and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and data-driven decision-making processes.”

Another health risk posed by climate change is the rise of vector-borne diseases carried by blood-feeding insects. For example, mosquitoes are expanding their geographical range, bringing several associated diseases, such as malaria and Dengue Fever.

“In Jeddah, Dengue is now a seasonal illness,” says Al-Ghamdi. “To proactively identify future hotspots for vector-borne diseases, we need detailed climate modeling to quantify temperature, rainfall and humidity distributions on daily, monthly and yearly scales. This comprehensive data will underpin developing control and mitigation measures to be incorporated into health policies, ensuring better preparedness and response.”

Positive future planning

Al-Ghamdi is keen that urban planners and other stakeholders take a positive stance on tackling uncertainty, and place robust and rigorous research and practical tools at the heart of urban development.

“Our ambition is to inspire transformative action that ensure our urban areas not only survive but flourish amidst the evolving climate landscape,” concludes Al-Ghamdi. “This work reflects our dedication to fostering resilient, inclusive and adaptive urban communities for a better future.”

Reference
  1. Al-Ghamdi, S. (ed). Sustainable Cities in a Changing Climate: Enhancing Urban Resilience. Wiley (2024) DOI:10.1002/9781394201532 Sustainable Cities in a Changing Climate | Wiley Online Books
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