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Asia’s Cities ‘The Worst Affected’ By Climate Change
The threats associated with climate change and the environment are worst for cities in Asia, according to a new report, with 99 of the 100 most risk-prone places to be found in the world can be found in the continent.
Carried out by analysis and forecasting group Verisk Maplecroft, the study primarily looked at the risks posted to business operations and investments in various urban centres, looking at factors such as pollution, extreme heat, lack of water and vulnerability to climate change, Climate News Network reports.
Jakarta, for example, was built on what was once a swamp and, as such, is vulnerable to rises in sea levels and is now sinking, as well as facing serious water supply issues and experiencing severe levels of air pollution. Solutions are scarce, so the government now intends to move the capital to East Kalimantan on the island of Borneo.
The top ten most at-risk cities in terms of environmental disaster and climate change includes Delhi, Agra, Kanpur and Chennai. Other cities scoring badly on the index include Karachi in Pakistan, Bangkok in Thailand, Manila in the Philippines and numerous places in China.
The authors of the study explained that one of the most critical factors that now determines the long-term resilience of global organisations is how well they manage the growing climate and environmental crisis.
And you might well think that we here in the UK are relatively insulated from the problems parts of the world are facing, but the report continued to say: “Londoners might envisage warm days in the park and an Italian cafe culture, but the reality for most cities is of widespread productivity losses, skyrocketing cooling costs and a grim toll of heat-related disease.”
Cities found to perform well in the index included those in Canada and New Zealand, as well as various ones across Europe. There is growing evidence that fish and other creatures are moving north in line with land and ocean temperature rises – and people would perhaps be served well by doing so, as well.
Places to consider Helsinki, the capital of Finland, Ottawa and Vancouver in Canada, and Glasgow – which was found to be one of the world’s least exposed cities in terms of the dangers of climate change.
One of the biggest climate change challenges facing the world is water stress and scarcity, but there is a lot that businesses can do to help mitigate the risks and protect supplies for future generations.
Get in touch with the team here at H2o Building Services to find out how you can become more water efficient and boost the green credentials of your company. This will help ensure resilience where your company operations are concerned – and perhaps even win you more loyal customers, since consumers are increasingly choosing to do business with those brands that put environmental matters at the heart of what they do.