Global environmental issues like climate change, pollution, and land degradation are exacerbating challenges faced by cities. Rising global temperatures are increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters, while pollution and resource degradation threaten human and planetary health. Cities concentrate environmental and disaster risks due to factors like rapid urbanization, poor planning, and infrastructure fragility. Climate change impacts like rising seas and more extreme weather endanger urban areas, while pollution stresses ecosystems and harms populations. Improving urban governance, planning, and resilience can help cities mitigate environmental risks and climate impacts.

1. GLOBA
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
And challenges in Cities
Prof. Dr. Neha Bansal
Professor
SRM Institute of Science and Technology
Chennai, Ph: +918787060206
Email: neha2000neha@gmail.com
5th Online Faculty Induction Programme
(15-07-2021 to 13-08-2021)
UGC - Human Resource Development Centre
(UGC-HRDC)
Sardar Patel University

2. Part 2
Part 1
Global
Environmental
Challenges
Impact on cities
and Initiatives

3. WHAT IS GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT CHANGE ?
Climate
Air
water
Land

4. CLIMATE
CHANGE
INDICATIONS
IPCC’s "worst case scenario"(surging GHG and a rise of temperature up
to 5C above pre industrial times by 2100) will become the accepted
baseline
The World Economic
Forum’s Global Risks
Report (pdf) ranks ’Extreme
Weather’ as number one of the
top ten risks in terms of
likelihood. ‘Climate Action
Failure’ ranks number one in
terms of impact – ahead of
‘weapons of mass destruction’,
‘cyber attacks’, and ‘infectious
diseases’. Extreme weather
and climate action failure are
therefore the determining
characteristics in this risk
matrix, ranking well before the
economic, societal and
technological categories.

5. CLIMATE CHANGE
INDICATIONS
State of the Climate in 2018 shows accelerating climate change impacts
The WMO Statement on the State
of the Global Climate in 2018, its
25th anniversary edition, highlights
record sea level rise, as well as
exceptionally high land and ocean
temperatures over the past four
years. This warming trend has
lasted since the start of this
century and is expected to
continue.
2019 Climate Action Summit
“The data released in this report
give cause for great concern. The
past four years were the warmest
on record, with the global average
surface temperature in 2018
approximately 1°C above the pre-
industrial baseline,” Mr Guterres
wrote in the report.

6. Upsets Hydrological Cycle
Flood and Drought
Rise in sea level
Increase in temperatures/ heat waves
Rise in Geological and Hydrological Disasters
Loss in human lives and livestock
CLIMATE
CHANGE

7. ECOLOGICAL
CYCLE

8. GLOBAL
TEMPERATURE
RISE
Berkeley Earth, a California-based non-profit research
organization, has been preparing independent analyses of global
mean temperature changes since 2013.

9. DEFORESTATION
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), an estimated 18 million acres (7.3 million hectares) of forest are
lost each year

10. DEFORESTATION
Carbon Accumulation
CO2concentration in the atmosphere has increased by 31% since the beginning
of the industrial era, from 280 to 360 ppm (IPCC, 2001).

11. Green house
effect due to
increase in CO2

12. The term “carbon footprint” is often used
as shorthand for the amount of carbon
(usually in tonnes) being emitted by an
activity or organization. The carbon
footprint is also an important component
of the Ecological Footprint, since it is one
competing demand for biologically
productive space. Carbon emissions from
burning fossil fuel accumulate in the
atmosphere if there is not enough bio
capacity dedicated to absorb these
emissions. Therefore, when the carbon
footprint is reported within the context of
total ecological footprint, the tonnes of
carbon dioxide emissions are expressed as
the amount of productive land area
required to sequester those carbon
dioxide emissions. This tells us how much
bio capacity is necessary to neutralize the
emissions from burning fossil fuels.
CO2
Emission

13. CO2
Emission
The combination of all these forces—consumption, deforestation, agriculture and food, emissions—underscores more than ever the
value of a compressive measures like the Ecological Footprint that takes into account all competing demands on the biosphere,
including CO2 emissions and the capacity of our forests and oceans to absorb carbon.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact our
activities have on the environment, and in
particular climate change. It relates to the
amount of greenhouse gases produced in our
day-to-day lives through burning fossil fuels for
electricity, heating and transportation etc.
PRIMARY CARBON
FOOTPRINT
This is a measure of
how much carbon
dioxide is given out
directly by energy
consumption so you
are in control of this
type of carbon
footprint.
SECONDARY
CARBON
FOOTPRINT
This is a measure of
carbon dioxide given
out that is not under
your control by
products you
consume.

14. CO2
Emission THE 20 COUNTRIES THAT EMITTED THE MOST CO2
China is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide
gas in the world, with 10.06 billion metric
tons in 2018. The primary source of CO2
emissions in China is fossil fuels, notably coal
burning. About 58% of the total energy
derived in China came from coal alone in
2019, and since coal is rich in carbon,
burning it in China's power and industrial
plants and boilers releases large amounts of
CO2 into the atmosphere.
Also, China is one of the largest importers of
oil, which contributes to large CO2 emissions
through the country's use of motor vehicles.
China plans to reduce its dependence on coal
and decrease overall pollution in large cities
in the future by generating more electricity
using nuclear, renewable energy sources, and
natural gas.
CHINA

15. RISE IN SEA LEVEL
Global mean sea level has risen
about 8–9 inches (21–24
centimeters) since 1880, with about
a third of that coming in just the last
two and a half decades. The rising
water level is mostly due to a
combination of meltwater from
glaciers and ice sheets and thermal
expansion of seawater as it
warms. In 2019, global mean sea
level was 3.4 inches
(87.6 millimeters) above the 1993
average—the highest annual
average in the satellite record
(1993-present). From 2018 to 2019,
global sea level rose 0.24 inches
(6.1 millimeters).
NOOA (National Oceanic
and Atmospheric
Administration)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA /ˈnoʊ.ə/ NOH-ə) is
an American scientific and regulatory agency within the United States, formed in
1970

16. RISE IN SEA LEVEL
Impacts- India
With a 2 degree rise in
temperature, 64m people in
China, based on the 2010
population, would be living in
areas submerged by rising
seas. However, with a 4
degree rise this jumps to
145m people. China is
followed in second place by
India, with 20m and 55m
respectively. India’s neighbour,
Bangladesh, completes the
top three most at risk.
World Economic Forum
China will be most affected by rising sea levels caused by global warming,
according to a new report from Climate Central, 2015

17. AIR POLLUION- OZONE
LAYER DEPLETION
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Each year, ozone amounts drop below 220 Dobson Units—the threshold that marks the start of an ozone hole—across
a large area of Antarctica. Northern Hemisphere values are rarely that low. NOAA Climate.gov image based on satellite
ozone data provided by NOAA View
Antarctica is the only place on
Earth where it's reliably cold
enough for an ozone hole to
form
The ozone hole is an annual thin
spot that forms in the stratospheric
ozone layer over Antarctica in mid-
September and October. When it
comes to the ozone hole, chlorine
is the enemy. The chlorine comes
from chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs,
for short), which were widely used
in early refrigeration and cooling
systems. Under most atmospheric
conditions, when CFCs begin to
degrade, the chlorine they contain
first gets incorporated into variety
of smaller molecules that do not
directly harm the ozone layer.

18. OZONE LAYER
DEPLETION
Effects of ozone depletion for humans and the
environment
Ozone layer depletion causes increased UV
radiation levels at the Earth's surface, which is
damaging to human health.
Negative effects include increases in certain types
of skin cancers, eye cataracts and immune
deficiency disorders. UV radiation also affects
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, altering
growth, food chains and biochemical cycles.
Aquatic life just below the water’s surface, the
basis of the food chain, is particularly adversely
affected by high UV levels. UV rays also affect
plant growth, reducing agricultural productivity.
The Montreal Protocol
In 1987, to address the destruction of the ozone
layer, the international community established
the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting
substances. It was the first international treaty
to be signed by all countries of the world and is
considered the greatest environmental success
story in the history of the United Nations.
The Montreal Protocol’s objective is to cut down
the production and consumption of ozone-
depleting substances, in order to reduce their
presence in the atmosphere and thus protect
the Earth's ozone layer.

19. LAND POLLUTION
AAND DEGRADATION
Land pollution means
degradation or
destruction of earth’s
surface and soil,
directly or indirectly as
a result of human
activities.
•52% of the land used for agriculture is
moderately or severely affected by soil
degradation
•Land degradation affects 1,5 billion people
global
•Nearly 1 billion people are going hungry
•Land Degradation over the next 25 years
may reduce global food production by up
to 12% resulting in an increase of, as much
as, 30% of world food prices
•Land degradation jeopardizes biodiversity.
Desertification affects the global loss of
biodiversity; 27,000 species are lost each
year
•Some 50 million people may be displaced
within the next 10 years as a result of
desertification
•Land pollution, combined with climate
change and elevated levels of CO2 can
block plant’s absorbtion of nitrates, leading
to foods and crops with a reduced
nutritional quality

20. LAND POLLUTION
AAND DEGRADATION
UN SPIDER, Land Degradation Impact Index (GLADIS). Image: Nachtergaele et al. 2010.
Thirty-three per cent of global land
area is degraded (FAO, 2015).
About 47 per cent of degrading land
globally is forest; cropland accounts
for approximately 18 per cent of the
global total degraded land (Bai et
al., 2013). About two billion people
and 1.9 billion hectares of land are
affected by land degradation
globally
It is estimated that land degradation
costs the global economy between
$18-20 trillion USD annually
(UNCCD, 2019).

21. DISASTERS
ARE RISING
World Economic Forum: MunichRe registered 820 natural
disasters causing insured losses in 2019 - three times as many as
Asia is among the most disaster prone
regions in the world. The region is also
home to half of the world’s urban
population. It constitutes one of the
world’s most rapidly urbanizing
regions. Sixty-six out of the 100
fastest-growing urban areas are in Asia
(Children in an Urban World, The State
of the World’s Children 2012, UNICEF).
As disasters have been increasing,
cities have become hotspots of
disaster risks.
NIDM report, 2019
Developing Disaster-Risk
Resilience in Cities

22. DISASTERS ON
RISE
Fig: Trends in increase of natural Disasters worldwide from 1900-2011
(Source:http://www.emdat.be/sites/default/files/Trends/natural/world_1900_2011/eveyr2_view.jpg
“In the first half of 2011 alone,
108 natural disasters occurred,
killing over 23 thousand people,
affecting nearly 44 million
others and causing more than
253 billion US dollars of
economic damages”
( “Annual Disaster Statistical Review
2011: The Numbers and Trends.”
Brussels: CRED; 2012)

23. Environmental
challenges in
Cities
Part 2

24. Urban areas SUFFER GREATER
FATALITIES AND ECONOMIC LOSSES
than rural areas as exposure is more
URBAN AREAS CONCENTRATE
RISK!!
WHY CITIES/ URBAN AREAS?

25. Causes
Rapid
unplanned
Urbanization
Pollution and
stressing
earth’s natural
resources
Climate
Change and
global
warming
Humans
• Rapid urbanization
• Urban rural transformation versus
development
• Occupying vulnerable lands,
triggering disasters
Human Activities
• Rapid Industrialization
• Deforestation
• Disturbing ecosystems and eco cycle
• Over utilization of resources
• Pollution and degradation
Long term impacts
• Rise in temperatures due to global
warming
• Rise in disasters
• Rise in sea level and climate
changes
• Release of excessive emissions in air

26. HUMAN ACTS
• Uncontrolled Growth
• Unplanned urbanization
What happens when a
disaster strikes here??
What Happens
when there is
slightest increase
in water level??
Source: http://www.china-mike.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/03/shanghai-pudong-urbanization-crowds.jpg
Source:http://img.interempresas.net/fotos/416486.JPEG

27. Aggravating factors- URBAN GOVERNANCE
• Poor Governance
• Overstretching of resources
Poor urban services
http://www.indiawaterreview.in/pimgs/787_B.jpg
http://www.indiawaterreview.in/pimgs/787_B.jpg
Poor urban
governance
Over stretching
of resources
http://www.nextbillion.net/pubs/images/traffic.jpg
Chaos
Traffic
congestion
Poor urban
governance
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvBBjro22s_AyNqBxNh
e-cSrMIIoGG__rg3IOtsJ3O9Pv8JVDhww

28. CLIMATE CHANGE
• Change in eco cycle
• Increase in Frequency of natural Disasters
2:http://www.keepbanderabeautiful.org/climate-change.jpg
1:http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/images/scientists-clues-print.jpg
3:http://www.sott.net/image/image/517/climate-change-hurricane.jpg
3
2
1
Image sources
Change in Eco cycle
More Disasters!
Unexpected climate !

29. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
• Pollution of Air , water, Land
• Degradation of Natural resources
http://infactcollaborative.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/08/pollution-fact-water-pollution.jpg
Land pollution
Air pollution
Water pollution

30. WHAT MAKES CITIES EXPOSED AND
VULNERABLE
RAPID GROWTH AND INADEQUATE PLANNING, LOW LEVEL OF
DEVELOPMENT, FRAGILE INFRASTRUCTURE
GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, THE POOR BUILDING FABRIC OF
HOUSING
INCREASE IN NATURAL EVENTS DUE TO CLIMATE, AND THE
ABSENCE OF WARNING SYSTEMS
POOR LEVEL OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ORGANIZATION
NO AWARENESS OF THE DISASTER THREAT AS WELL AS ITS
IMPACT

31. RISK ACCUMULATION
When risks due to natural hazards
are compounded by everyday
risks, it results in the process of
risk accumulation
1. Poor waste management is accumulating risk in one of the
densest urban areas, in Mumbai
2. Poor housing stock-Loss of life can be minimized with
investment in disaster prevention measures (file
photo)UN/GFDRR
3. Poor roads and infrastructure- Columbia
2
3
1
CITIES- RISK
ACCUMULATION

32. EXPOSURE
http://www.straight.com/files/styles/popup/public/fil
es/images/wide/COL_Fukushima_2287.jpg
Bhopal gas tragedy
http://passittotheleft.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/p
inkietracks34231.jpg
The Fukushima nuclear disaster in
Japan has exposed troubling
weaknesses with radiation monitoring
here in Canada.

33. INCREASE IN UNNATURAL EVENTS DUE TO CLIMATE, AND THE ABSENCE OF
WARNING SYSTEMS
Figure 2.1 Past and projected global surface temperature change (relative to 1980–
LACK OF PREPAREDNESS
AND RESILIENCE

34. CAPITAL RISKS
ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS
SOCIAL/ CULTURAL RISKS
ECONOMIC RISKS
INSTITUTIONAL AND
POLICY RISKS
DAMAGE TO GOVT BULILDINGS
AND ESSENTIAL FACILITIES
TO LIFELINES / UTILITIES
MACHINERIES/ EQUIPMENTS.
WATER & AIR POLLUTION
LOSS OF BIODIVERCITY
CHANGE OF MICROCLIMATE
LOSS OF LIFE, RESIDENCES,
DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE
LOSS OF CULTURAL/ HISTORICAL
RESOURCES
IMPACT ON VULNERABLE
POPULATION
FINANCIAL LOSS TO GOVTS., TO BUSINESS
AND RESIDENTS
REDUCED INCOME TAX AND BUSSINESS,
INCREASED GOVT EXPENDITURE
LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LOSS OF
HIGH PAYING JOBS.
GOVT. LIABILITY AND STAFF TURNOVER
DAMAGE TO REPUTATION AND
INCREASED DISTRUST OF GOVT.
EROSION OF COMMUNITY VISION AND
UNDERMINIG OF OTHER POLICIES
Source: Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative, Cross-Cutting Capacity Development Series, Fifth Metro Manila Field Trip Proceedings, Mainstreaming Disaster
Risk Reduction Through Land Use Planning and Enhancing Management Practices
CITIES AT RISKS

35. Future global
urban water
scarcity

36. .
GLOBAL
CLIMATIC
CONCERNS

37. BRUNTLAND REPORT AND SUSTAINABILE
DEVELOPMENT:
Our Common Future, also known as the Brundtland Report
in recognition of former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro
Harlem Brundtland's role as Chair of the World Commission
on Environment and Development (WCED), was published
in 1987 by the United Nations.
▪ Multilateralism and interdependence of nations in the search
for a sustainable development path.
▪ Our Common Future placed environmental issues firmly on
the political agenda; it aimed to discuss the environment
and development as one single issue.
The document was the culmination of a “900-day”
international-exercise which catalogued, analyzed, and
synthesized: written submissions and expert testimony from
experts of various fields held at public hearings throughout the
world.

38. INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS
• Millennium Development Goal (MDG)
• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALA (SSD) 17 GOALS
• The Cross-Cutting Capacity Development (3cd)
• The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005‐2015
• The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction
(UNISDR)
• ISDR partners have launched, in May 2010, a new Global Campaign:
Making Cities Resilient
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies
(IFRC)
• PARIS AGREEMENT 2016

39. SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT
GOALS
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a
collection of 17 global goals set by the United
Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year
2030. The SDGs are part of Resolution 70/1 of the
United Nations General Assembly, the 2030
Agenda. The Sustainable Development Goals are:
1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health and Well-being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
10. Reducing Inequality
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
12. Responsible Consumption and Production 13.
Climate Action
14. Life Below Water
15. Life On Land
16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals.
The goals are broad based and interdependent. The
17 sustainable development goals visualize
progress towards the goals.

46. Turn
down
the heat.
Keep blinds closed to help keep
temperature stable inside. Turn down
your water heater — 120 degrees
Fahrenheit is sufficient. Turn off lights
and appliances when you're not using
them. Turn off appliances at the power
outlet to reduce even more energy.
Global experts call for a target limit of
approximately 2 tonnes per person per
year. Currently, the global average is 4
tonnes per person, with wide variation
between countries.
The average carbon footprint for a person
in the United States is 16 tons, one of the
highest rates in the world. Globally, the
average is closer to 4 tons. To have the best
chance of avoiding a 2℃ rise in global
temperatures, the average global carbon
footprint per year needs to drop under 2
tons by 2050.

47. SUSTAINABILE DEVELOPMENT GOALS - 2030:
HISTORY:
▪ In 1983, the United Nations created the World
Commission on Environment and Development (later
known as the Brundtland Commission)
▪ In 1992, the first United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED) or Earth
Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, where the first
agenda for Environment and Development, also known
as Agenda 21, was developed and adopted.
▪ In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development (UNCSD), also known as Rio+20, was
held as a 20-year follow up to UNCED. Colombia
proposed the idea of the SDGs at a preparation event
for Rio+20 held in Indonesia in July 2011.
▪ In 2013, the General Assembly set up a 30-member
Open Working Group to develop a proposal on the
SDGs.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with their 169
targets, form the core of the 2030 Agenda. They balance the
economic, social and ecological dimensions of sustainable
development, and place the fight against poverty and sustainable
development on the same agenda for the first time.
The SDGs are to be achieved around the world, and by all UN
member states, by 2030.

48. SAVE ENVIRONMENT! SAVE YOURSELF
THANK YOU