Preparing cities for our climate reality

By Poul due Jensen - October 30, 2021 @ 12:00am

Restoring natural resources such as lakes and rivers can improve a city’s water quality and access, as well as play a crucial role in flood management and mitigate coastal erosion. - NSTP/FARIZUL HAFIZ AWANG

EACH year, millions of people are affected by disasters caused by extreme weather and climate change.

With rapid urbanisation expected to drive almost two-thirds of the global population to live in cities by 2050, cities are inevitably on the front lines of climate change's growing risks and challenges.

Recognising this, this year's World Cities Day reflects on its theme of "Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience". As urbanisation in Malaysia continues to pick up pace, its cities are beginning to feel the effects of climate change.

Some cities have recorded temperature rises of up to 6.7°C over the past two decades. Experts attributed this to the urban heat island effect — a phenomenon of urban structures trapping heat in the day and releasing it at night.

It is tough to consciously consider our cities' current defences against climate change as a priority, given the ongoing challenges with Covid-19, which has seen resources redirected to pandemic efforts.

What we can drive at this point is to identify the biggest risks for our cities and start from there.

There are three core areas that call for our focused action to achieve climate resilience — urban water management, sustainable cooling and ensuring water-smart homes.

While Malaysia made significant progress in improving water access, authorities in recent years have expressed concern over sustainable water management due to high records of non-revenue water rates — or water loss within the system — as a result of ageing infrastructure.

Technology can play a bigger role by establishing interconnectivity across a city's water management systems. Through the Internet of Things (IoT), advanced real-time data collection and sensors, a city's water networks can access information that allows them to operate in a more predictive manner.

Water networks that have achieved this level of interconnectivity also present the potential of transitioning a city towards a circular economy and promote greater water reuse.

The wealth of information available means a city can continuously improve the efficiency of available infrastructures inside cities towards collecting, managing and treating wastewater for further use.

Cooling is an incredibly crucial part of cities in this part of the world. Climate change is further exacerbating the situation. Between US$2.8 trillion and US$4.7 trillion of gross domestic product in Asia on average will be at risk annually from a loss of effective outdoor working hours because of hotter temperature and more humid environment by 2050.

However, the process of keeping cities in Malaysia cool — most notably in buildings — is notoriously energy- and water-intensive. Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems alone account for up to 40 per cent of total energy use. Such consumption contributes to greater carbon emissions, driving climate change.

Through leveraging automation technology, remote monitoring and (IoT), we can look to ensure HVAC systems operate in optimised conditions at any time.

As more people live in cities, climate action can exist even at a household level. Smart home solutions today mean anyone can enjoy a sustainable home that is energy- and water-efficient, without sacrificing convenience or comfort.

Solutions today allow homeowners to control home water systems from their smartphones, which can help inculcate a culture of water conservation.

Increasing the digital link between individual smart homes and the surrounding smart urban network presents the potential for a city to meet citizens' needs.

However, to truly reinvent our cities, focusing on architecture alone is not enough. To achieve real change, collaboration is key.

For instance, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, of which Kuala Lumpur is a member, supports cities to collaborate effectively, share knowledge and drive meaningful and sustainable action on climate change. The C40 project on Water Secure Cities of the Future is delivering remarkable results that will help deal with climate-related water risks.

We also need to reflect on how nature can play a supporting role in us reimagining our cities. Nature can be a powerful tool.

Restoring natural resources such as lakes and rivers can improve a city's water quality and access, as well as play a crucial role in flood management and mitigate coastal erosion.

Malaysia is seen stepping up in this regard, having recently announced greater efforts towards forest restoration, rehabilitation and enrichment, through multi-stakeholder collaboration.

By strategically identifying the most effective and feasible actions, cities have the power to enact real change for its communities and, in turn, stand strong in the face of our climate reality.

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The writer is CEO, Grundfos

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times