At 2 degrees, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned, the pressure on cities could grow tremendously: 37 percent of the world’s population would be exposed to the kind of severe heat that afflicted Southeastern Europe in 2007, and 411 million would face water scarcity, like this year’s drinking water crisis in Cape Town. Urban “heat island” effects could amplify the problems and increase the likelihood of disease, bringing migrations of climate refugees and further straining infrastructure. The other effects of climate change, including the ways it boosts droughts, floods and wildfires, would put more pressure on cities to adapt, mitigate the effects of climate change and become resilient. Ms. Cantrell stressed the importance of understanding the complexity of the problem. “You have to look at storm water management as a system,” she said.

Source: New York Times December 13, 2018 07:15 UTC