How Urban Areas Are Adapting to Combat Climate Change

The evidence of climate change is undeniable. Glaciers are receding, ocean levels are climbing, and extreme weather events are becoming more common. Experts emphasize the urgent need to modernize infrastructure worldwide to prepare for climate-related disasters. The time to act is now.

"We can no longer rely on past data for designing our future," explains Constantine Samaras, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. He stresses the importance of upgrading infrastructure—such as buildings, roads, airports, dams, waste systems, and power networks—to meet the challenges of a changing climate. This involves preparing for both human needs and the additional environmental pressures that climate change will bring.

Consider the forecast that global sea levels could increase by up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) within the next century. Given that 90% of urban areas worldwide are situated near water bodies, immediate action is essential to safeguard low-lying regions from flooding, as well as to elevate or move coastal infrastructure like roads, bridges, and levees.

What about the impact of rising global temperatures? According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global temperatures may increase by 2.5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (1.3 to 5.6 degrees Celsius) over the next century. Cities face even greater risks, as vast expanses of concrete absorb and trap excessive heat, creating hazardous conditions.

Several U.S. cities are already implementing measures. Following the devastation of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, New York City allocated $20 billion for numerous resilience projects aimed at protecting its 10 million residents from increasingly frequent and severe coastal storms. The city transported 3.7 million cubic yards (2.8 million cubic kilometers) of sand to fortify nearly 10 miles (16 kilometers) of dunes along Coney Island. The reconstructed Rockaway Boardwalk, destroyed by Sandy, was elevated above the 100-year flood level, with a concrete retaining wall beneath to guard against storm surges.

Samaras also highlights the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities initiative, which introduced the role of Chief Resilience Officer in cities globally. Since its launch in 2013, nearly 100 cities have developed long-term resilience plans, funding over 3,000 specific projects. Although the program ended on July 31, 2019, the Rockefeller Foundation pledged $8 million to continue supporting Chief Resilience Officers and cities within the network.

Paris is addressing the threat of deadly heatwaves, such as the 2003 event that claimed over 700 lives. The 2017 Paris Resilience Strategy aims to convert the city's 761 schools into "green islands," serving as urban sanctuaries with cooler temperatures. The first 30 schools were upgraded with green roofs, rainwater collection systems, cooling fountains, and extensive tree planting. The plan envisions transforming all Parisian schools into such oases by 2050.

"Every component of infrastructure must be engineered to endure extreme weather throughout its entire lifespan," Samaras emphasizes. The U.S. infrastructure is already in urgent need of modernization, even before considering the additional challenges posed by climate change. In the 2017 report card from the American Society for Civil Engineers (ASCE), the nation received a D+. Similar to the 2013 assessment, the ASCE highlighted poor conditions in bridges, dams, levees, ports, and inland waterways, emphasizing the necessity for billions of dollars in upgrades to protect lives and livelihoods in the coming century.

The challenge lies in the high cost of repairs and upgrades, compounded by the politicization of climate change. (For instance, the Rockaway Beach restoration project alone cost $140 million.) Despite this, a highly divided U.S. Congress introduced the America's Transportation Infrastructure Act in 2019, a $287 billion bill allocating $4.9 billion over five years for projects enhancing the resilience of roads and bridges against extreme weather. If enacted, the bill would also establish a $1 billion annual fund for coastal state resilience initiatives.

This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration involving over 250 news organizations to enhance climate change reporting.