Cities on the front line of climate change
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Unfortunately, the situation is only going to get worse. As climate change continues and the earth's surface temperature keeps rising, we are in for more extreme and unpredictable weather events
Scientists say 2010 is likely to rank among the warmest years since the middle of the 19th century. Some 19 countries set all-time heat records last year. Moscow, for instance, suffered not only record heat, but also raging forest fires.
Extreme weather not only ties up traffic; it also disrupts the delivery of essential supplies. The third day after the blizzard, I got a notice from the management of my hotel, apologizing for not being able to change the bedding. The supplier, it seems, was unable to get into the city.
That is nothing compared to what Chenzhou, a third-tier city of nearly 500,000 residents in central China's Hunan province, went through as a result of continuous snow and icy rain in January 2008. The supply of coal was cut off, leaving the city without electricity for more than a week. The city's water supply system also froze, so residents had no drinking water.
A World Bank report released in early December warns that many coastal cities - from Kolkata, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in developing countries to Rotterdam, Tokyo, and New York City in developed countries - face the same risks if sea levels continue to rise as a result of global warming.
In the same report, the World Bank points out that "residents of cities, especially the rich, are the largest contributors to climate change," even though they, especially the urban poor, are also the victims.
It is not enough to prepare emergency response systems to deal with extreme weather. Cities must also take drastic measures to cut down greenhouse gas emissions.
Countries should encourage residents to change their lifestyles to recycle more and generate less garbage, so as to reduce their carbon footprints.
The author is assistant editor-in-chief of China Daily. E-mail: lixing@chinadaily.com.cn
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