Climate change in high-income cities: Urban Resilience

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most relevant challenges for our society. However, the high population density makes cities specifically vulnerable. Therefore new solutions to reduce casualties of climate change are needed. Urban resilience gives a new perspective on how to build a ‘climate-proof’ city. However, this is a relatively new concept which makes it difficult to find a complete overview on how a resilient city is exactly built. This study’s main objective was to define the best adaptation strategy for creating urban resilience. This was firstly done by identifying the main threats which cities are facing due to climate changes. It will also to give an overview on the best adaptations to create a city which is resilient against these threats. And eventually the most effective strategy for urban resilience will be discussed. It can be concluded that ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) is the most effective adaptation strategy when taking the long-term future predictions in account. However, a combination of adaptation strategies could create a higher urban resilience. A more detailed study on the consequences of combining adaptation strategies should be conducted to investigate the possibilities on urban resilience.