A systems approach to meeting the challenges of urban climate change

This article identifies the future challenges that cities face in their ability to create well-being, particularly for urban poor communities, as a result of the compound effect generated by climate change – distinguishing between direct impacts, indirect effects and pre-existing vulnerability. This suggests that action to reduce exposure and improve the adaptive capacity of urban populations must therefore simultaneously address disaster risk reduction, urban poverty reduction and urban resilience (i.e. the ability of the city to maintain the functions that support the well-being of its citizens). Based on evidence and experience from 10 cities which form part of the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (www.acccrn.org), this article proposes that a simplified conceptual model and resilience characteristics be used to analyse urban systems, in parallel with spatial analysis, to target action at multiple levels to reduce exposure and improve the adaptive capacity of urban populations simultaneously.