Impact of Climate Change on Future Urban Societies

Experts from China and Australia are gathering at the Shanghai Expo to discuss the impact of climate change, as bilateral workshops are held by the Australia Pavilion as part of the activities marking 30 years of the China-Australia Science partnership. It is an opportunity for experts from both counties to exchange their achievements in order to build a low carbon society.

Su Yi has the report:

Climate change is the focus of scientists from China and Australia, as both countries are facing rapid urbanization.

The new report "Climate Change and the Urban Environment" from the Australia Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, or ATSE, was launched in Shanghai this week.

ATSE Fellow Professor Michael Manton is the author of the report.

"The report on climate change in urban environment was prepared by the Academy last year, bring together a group of architects, water engineers, town planners, climate scientists, health experts to look at the range of problems and issues that rise with existing stresses of urban areas and how they can be modified through climate change. "

Two days of workshops follow the release of the report and provided a platform for the researchers from both countries to identify issues and impacts of climate change on urban management.

Professor Tony McMichael from the Australian National University analyzes how climate change impacts on human health.

"The extreme heat you are experience here in Shanghai, which the Russians are experiencing in Moscow, and which we experienced in Australia last year. They do cause excess death; mostly all the people, but those have pre-existing underlying problems like heart disease, lung diseases, these people are likely to die during heat weaves."

Dr. Bai Xulian, senior Science leader with Ecosystem Sciences, illustrates the relationship between cities and climate change.

"If you look at the data, I think over 80 percent of the energy looks like to be consumed within the city boundary depending on how you calculate it. It looks like around 60 to 70 percent of CO2 actually can be traced back to cities. And this is why cities are often referred to as the battleground of sustainability. And the city really defines our collective future ashuman beings. "

Other experts also bring their latest research to the workshop, showing the impact of climate change on water management, building design, urban planning and transportation.

Problems and perspectives of urbanization in China are also under the spotlight throughout the two-day seminar.

For CRI, I am Su Yi.