Cities and Mega Risks: COVID-19 and Climate Change

360 Pages·2022·19.519 MB·English

by  Mohammad Aslam Khan

Mohammad Aslam Khan
Cities and
Mega Risks
COVID-19 and Climate Change
Cities and Mega Risks
Mohammad Aslam Khan
Cities and Mega Risks
COVID-19 and Climate Change
Mohammad Aslam Khan
Department of Geography
University of Peshawar
Peshawar, Pakistan
ISBN 978-3-031-14087-7 ISBN 978-3-031-14088-4 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14088-4
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Introduction
The book Cities and Mega Risks highlights the emergence of COVID-19 and
climate change as twin Mega Risks in cities of the world. It discusses how the
pandemic has transformed city functions—promoted remote working,
affected socializing, education and learning patterns, recreation and exercise,
shopping, and entertainment. A major part of the book focuses on the lessons
learnt from the two Mega Risks, and the evolution of urban patterns and func-
tions in their wake, and provides visionary thinking for the improvement of
cities from the experiences gained.
The close relationship between the pandemic and climate change from
ecological, economic, as well as social standpoint has been highlighted. On
ecological grounds, both underscore the strong links between human, animal,
and planetary health. For example, deforestation and a loss of wildlife habi-
tat, due to economic pressures, is linked both to climate change and to disease
outbreak. According to the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), “Scientists
estimate that 3 out of every 4 new or emerging infectious diseases in people
come from animals.” Both risks are global in nature, have caused economic
and employment problems, enhanced poverty and hunger, as well as created
and sharpened inequalities and crisis of governance. Moreover, the best com-
mon response to both risks is action and appropriate interventions for a
greener and better future.
Cities have been known to be the cradles of civilization. In terms of oppor-
tunities, they have been well recognized as hubs of commerce and birthplaces
of innovations, designs, and ideas. They were the pivot of industrial revolu-
tion in the past, and today they are the focal points of technological revolu-
tion. Currently, cities accommodate 4.2 billion people or 55% of the world’s
population. Their economic importance can be gauged from the fact that they
generate more than 80% of global GDP. However, serious concerns have also
been expressed over the growing size of cities and their failure to develop
adequate infrastructure. Social fragmentation, inequalities, racial and ethnic
tensions, excessive consumption, and unsustainable production are other
trepidations along with enhanced risks and disasters. Cities have always been
epicenters of epidemics, pandemics, and risks since historic times. The recent
coronavirus pandemic, however, has fully exposed the vulnerabilities of cit-
ies. Together with the enhancement of concurrent climate change–related
hazards, it has minimized the myriad of challenges they were already facing
in the form of housing, jobs, infrastructure, and service deficits. Hence, a
v
vi Introduction
survey conducted in fourteen advanced countries by PEW Research Center, a
famous American Institution, infectious diseases, and climate change
emerged as the top concerns or Mega Risks.
This makes it important for policy makers, planners, and practitioners not
only to study the emerging urban Mega Risks but also to analyze experiences
to cope with these in developed and developing countries alike. Such investi-
gative case studies could provide guidance for investing in physical, social,
and technological infrastructures that could enhance safety and security in
cities, and help develop future visions, policies, and plans for resilience and
sustainable development.
The word pandemic had its origin in the Greek word pandēmos—pan for
(all), while demos for (people), together meaning “prevalent over a whole
people or the world.” Accordingly, climate change, which is prevalent glob-
ally, fits well in that definition just like the coronavirus and some other dis-
eases like Spanish flue, plague, and cholera did. The main difference is that
while COVID-19 has been a 2-year event, climate change spanned over sev-
eral years or is more than a 100-year event—the incubation of which goes
back to the Industrial Revolution. The twin pandemics or Mega Risks—coro-
navirus (infectious diseases) and climate change—are both posing serious
threats to cities’ future. Together, they demand changes in the ways cities’
function and operate. This book has presented a case for a better understand-
ing of the twin Mega Risks, the magnitude of their impacts, and the response
of cities in terms of lessons learnt in combating these, and provides vision and
planning strategies for preparing, mitigating, and adapting to these and future
risks.
The work takes into consideration all aspects of sustainable development
economic, social, and environmental as well as cross cutting issues like tech-
nology. Being thematic, it has no limitations in its geographical scope or
focus. The Mega Risks present a serious threat to the entire world, but this
threat takes varied shape in different cities and countries in terms of their
development status (developing or developed), intensities of their impacts,
and capacity to handle them. For example, cities that have less resources or
inequalities and a larger proportion of urban poor and vulnerable population
are potentially more vulnerable than those that are better resourced, more
equal, and with less vulnerable population. The capacity of cities to respond
and to endure the crises is also important. The book as far as possible has
considered these differences in presenting case studies, best practices, and
new urban models advocated for sustainability with incisive commentary.
The study is distinct in the sense that it is specifically targeting cities in
relation to twin Mega Risks: coronavirus pandemic and climate change,
which are both posing serious threats to their future. Cities have been targeted
specifically, because they are (a) in the frontline of battle against the Mega
Risks, (b) have a key role in implementing nation-wide measures, and (c) act-
ing as test sites for groundbreaking and innovative strategies. The book while
critically examining traditional urbanism also provides ideas on orchestrating
the future of cities in response to contemporary situation. As part of the
Sustainable Development Series, it addresses several Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), simultaneously including goal 11—make cities
Introduction vii
inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable; goal 3—health; goal 13—climate
change; goal 7—energy; goal 8—economic growth; goal 12—sustainable
consumption and production; goal 4—education-; and goal 17—partnerships
and several other goals.
Key Messages
Message 1. Twin Mega Risks, the coronavirus pandemic and climate crisis,
along with their challenges, also offer opportunities in designing packages
to “develop better” and make cities sustainable, climate friendly, and more
humane rather than mechanical materialistic abodes. They call for invest-
ment and behavioral changes that, along with reducing the likelihood of
future shocks, also promote sustainable development and help make a
safer and better world.
Message 2. Recovery and long-term development packages must incorporate
balanced economic development, social protection, and improvement of
human capital together with environmental safeguard as a cornerstone of
rebuilding city functions in a sustainable manner. The best option is to fol-
low the framework of Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development.
Message 3. Good governance, visioning, and enabling environment are cru-
cial to overcome the negative impacts of twin Mega Risks and in imple-
menting recovery as well as long-term development packages for the
sustainability of cities. The pandemic has led to a new normal, and among
others, lessons learnt from it should form the basis in designing the post-
pandemic “next normal.” It is critical to analyze how the economic and
social order in which business and society have traditionally operated is
being restructured. The experiences gained, should be effectively utilized
in visioning, and planning new forms in the resolution of issues and pro-
motion of sustainability and resilience in the “next normal.”
Message 4. Successful emergence of cities from past pandemics, disasters,
and crises including the recent crises of 9/11 and Global Recession 2008–
11 depicts that cities have resilience to overcome shocks posed by twin
Mega Risks, but it must be made stronger to face unforeseen future risks.
Message 5. The twin Mega Risks have alarmed both policy and decision mak-
ers as well as the public at large. However, being alarmed or “on the alert”
is not the same as being prepared or equipped to prevent the risks or to
mitigate their harmful effects and damages. The novel coronavirus and
climate crisis have made it crucial that “reactive approaches to emergen-
cies” be changed to “proactive preparedness, planning, and
decision-making.”
ix
x Key Messages
In sum, the main message for cities is that they need to accelerate efforts
in coping with ongoing risks, whether they are pandemic or climate related.
Simultaneously, actions need to be put in place to make cities more resilient,
greener, compact, and smarter to face any new unanticipated crises.
Structure and Framework
There are several ways to structure an academic work. Traditionally a book
on urban study starts with the basic description of urbanization and introduc-
tion of different type of cities and urban typologies. This book is different in
the sense that it deals with cities and sustainable development in relation to
Mega Risks, hence at the outset, it needs conceptual clarity. It is for the same
reason that the book starts with the concept of Mega Risks first—why they
are mega risks, how they have affected the whole world, and how one of them
with the capability of spreading like wildfire paralyzed the functioning of
both cities and nations. It also discusses why actions are necessary from local
to global level and the ongoing agenda for the same. Logically, after the con-
ceptual clarity, the next section of the book deals with the initial steps that are
needed in a risk management cycle—that is, detecting the nature and inten-
sity of problem. The idea is to put in place some form of monitoring and
management mechanism. Both in case of coronavirus disease and climate
change, this has been done through application of geospatial tools. Hence, the
second section concentrates on the monitoring of Mega Risks using these
tools. By the same token, the section also highlights that the cities’ function-
ing would have been completely paralyzed in the wake of lockdown and other
social distancing measures—if technology had not come to the rescue in the
form of remote functioning. Operating digitally was the only way to stay in
business through mandated shutdowns and restricted activity with rare excep-
tion. It amounted to stay digital to stay alive. A natural outcome of this was
enhanced innovation, augmenting it to a higher level so that humanity and
organizations can outmaneuver uncertainty.
The third section of the book deliberates on Mega Risks in relation to
economic aspects of sustainable development—with two chapters on urban
economy and power of its growth “energy,” respectively. It also concentrates
on how to make cities economically resilient in the wake of Mega Risks and
the lessons learnt from the new adjustments that provide guidance for future
development of linked city and national economies. The fourth section
focuses on Mega Risks in relation to social development, concentrating on
three interrelated issues health, education, and social protection—equally
important for building socially resilient cities. The chapters critically assess
cities’ preparedness and response; containment and control measures adopted;
pressures experienced by urban health, education, and social protection sys-
tems; and lessons learnt in resilience. A big lesson from the Mega Risks is to
shift from “reactive approach to emergencies” to “proactive preparedness,
xi