The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has published its Fifth Assessment Report, which presents the latest science about global climate change. Three separate groups of scientists split the effort and report separately, with Working Group II looking at the impacts climate change has and will continue to have on society. Here I summarize the highlights of Chapter 8, which examines the effects of climate change on the urban environment:
Many cities are located in areas where the largest temperature increases are predicted. These increases are in addition to the urban heat island effect, leading to longer and more intense heat waves. The resulting heat stress can be deadly for at-risk people like the elderly. In addition, those suffering from asthma and other respiratory illness are likely to be exposed to higher concentrations of ozone, a lung-damaging pollutant when found at ground level.
Coastal erosion and flooding due to increased sea levels will affect low-lying cities such as New York, Mombasa (Kenya), and Mumbai (India). Adding to the concern is the frequent presence of petrochemical industries near the water’s edge in many of the world’s coastal cities. Flooding of these facilities often leads to dangerous spills of toxic chemicals.
Source by: http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/fl/Global-Warming-Latest-Urban-Vulnerabilities.htm?utm_source=zergnet&utm_medium=tcg&utm_campaign=zergnet-test-296326
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