Control urban climate, save lives

been underestimated. Changes in the urban micro climate are increasingly becoming evident, yet many a times when people talk of climate change focus is on droughts, flooding and so forth, but the reality is that effects of climate change are severe in urban backyards as it is indoors and will continue to be felt more at a household level than anywhere else.
The effect of climate change induced alterations to the indoor environment on occupant health is essentially an issue at micro scales than on the broad urban realm. The fact that people spend the vast majority of their time in indoor environments and means they will experience many of the effects of climate change therein.
The rationale behind considering the urban domain than rural to me is an attempt to improve the environment and ways to reduce the negative effects of human induced climate change which are more active in urban areas that rural areas where climate is largely pristine.
The role of residents in urban climate governance is increasingly being felt. Involving urban residents in the urban climate governance speed boat is an indicator of embracing the principles of transparency and urban inclusion of citizens.
It is unavoidable that the local government, government, the business and civic organisations often hold discussions among themselves instead of involving residents, yet it is vital that such processes be as inclusive as possible especially when one talks of climate change.
Some may ask why residents should be part of the urban climate governance framework. In my previous articles I draw attention on the role of the business sector and industry in urban climate governance. But unique to this series is the definition of residents as stewards, trustees and potential users and managers of the environment. Based on this understanding an urban resident is a critical stakeholder in managing urban climate.
Apart from the foregoing residents should be at the forefront of climate change mitigation strategies because they have untapped potential which if harnessed may work miracles in the urban climate management domain. Urban residents live close to sources of emissions which I have extensively noted in my previous series, all of which can be bracketed as green house gases. It must be underscored that while the business and industry are major polluters, residents contribute too, though contestations can be delimited to amounts of emissions and footprint.
Furthermore, effects of climate change are felt more at the household and human level than at business and industry. Climate change affects the livelihoods of the urban poor in several ways, which warrants an independent study. Hence for the purposes of this series I focus on spaces of participation for urban residents.
It must also be underscored that active participation is a tenet of good governance. Opening the debate of climate governance to the urban citizenry means residents can express their interests and communicate back what is being discussed through action even in their own backyards. Inclusive approaches in urban climate governance are critical operational pillars, without which urban climate may not be manageable.
Over the years there has been a growing awareness that certain groups of people, for example young children, older people, those with a disability, with health problems or on a low income, are likely to be less resilient or adaptive to climate-related challenges. A leading role in addressing climate change in urban areas requires advancing an ever-expanding suite of measures one of which is, “putting the urban resident first”.
by using the urban climate governance approach as an organising principle, urban residents can begin to reach across political and socio-economic divides to develop a cohesive vision for cities of the twenty first century. Cities that are livable, resilient and sustainable in the urban climate governance framework are a product of such collective and innovative strategies. At a micro scale-cum-neighbourhood scale residents have the potential of nurturing and mentoring sustainable communities.
Coalitions of this nature are a unifying approach for managing and restoring urban environments. Apart from the foregoing it provides an opportunity for developing community-based coalitions that transcend neighbourhood-levels of parochialism.
At a minimum, providing a city’s residents with a collaborative approach to the problem of not only global but local climate change is a crucial first step towards local advocacy. As things stands today, the issue of climate change and possibly mitigating its effects is seemingly too complex and too international in scope to be the subject of individual or even community action. But the reality is that while urban environmental problems are global, action is local, hence the best place to start from is at the local scale.
The time has come for all stakeholders in the climate change domain to set ambitious targets for addressing climate change. The best place to begin is in the cities.
Like I said in my previous series, cities of the 21st century are where human destiny will be played and the future of the environment determined.

l Trymore Muderere is a final year student studying for a BSc Honours Degree in Rural and Urban Planning at the University of Zimbabwe.