TakingITGlobal

BOGO TÁ , COL UMBIA BEIJING, CHIN A N AIROBI, K EN YA Nair obi has a popula tion o f 3,138, 369, and is the economic cen tr e o f Kenya. In 2005 the UNF CCC launched the Nair obi Wor k Pr ogr amme on Impac t s, Vulner abili t y and Adap t a tion t o Clima te Change, bu t the ci t y s tr uggles w i th r apid gr ow th, high pover t y w i th many li v ing in in f or mal se t tlemen t s, low pos t-secondar y educa tion r a tes, and limi ted gover nance capaci t y, all o f w hich w ill compr omise their abili t y t o deal w i th pr ojec ted incr eases in in tense s t or ms, dr ough t s, ex tr eme hea t , declining wa ter supply, and enhancemen t o f tr opical disease vec t or s. Bogo t á's 8 million inhabi t an t s enjoy a r ela ti vely s tr ong economy, bu t ha ve highly unequal incomes. L oca ted in moun t ainous ter r ain, the ci t y has al ways been pr one t o landslides, bu t clima te change adds the r isk o f ex tr eme s t or ms and f looding, ex tr eme hea t and dr ough t , and the ex pan- sion o f tr opical diseases. Clima te change is a cen tr al theme in Bogo t á's De velopmen t Plan howe ver, and this combined w i th their ener gy e f f icien t public tr ansi t sys tem ha ve a t tr ac ted in ter na tional r ecogni tion. T he ex tr eme heal th thr ea t s posed by the high le vels o f air pollu tion in Beijing has r ecei ved in ter na tional a t ten tion, bu t the clima te thr ea t s t o this ci t y o f 2 2 million ar e jus t as concer ning, including ex tr eme hea t , se ver e wa ter shor t ages, and in f r as tr uc tur e highly v ulner able t o ex tr eme e ven t s. W i th the help o f s tr ong r e venues gener a ted by economic gr ow th, Ci t y o f f icials ha ve been aggr essi vely pur suing e f f or t s t o adap t t o clima te r isks, w hile simul t aneously ins ti tu ting policies t o r educe air pollu tion. T he la t ter ha ve the added co-bene f i t o f clima te mi tiga tion.

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