scholarly journals Implementing the Green City Policy in Municipal Spatial Planning: The Case of Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abongile Dlani ◽  
E. O.C. Ijeoma ◽  
Leocadia Zhou

The term “eco-city,” and similar concepts such as “green” and “sustainable” cities, has evolved overtime concurrent to the development of the understanding of social change and mankind’s impact on environmental and economic health. With the advent of climate change impacts, modern economies developed the green city policy to create sustainable urban development, low emission, and environmentally friendly cities. In South Africa municipalities, including Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) have been tasked to and implement the green city policy. However, BCMM is yet to develop the green city policy that clearly articulate how the municipality will combat climate change and reduce its Green House Gases (GHG) emissions in its spatial planning designs. Against this background, this article reviews and analyses green policy landscape in Metropolitan Municipalities. It is envisaged that the research will provide the basis for the development of a comprehensive green policy strategies and programmes for the local transition to action in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, in the Eastern Cape Province.

Author(s):  
Maria Juschten ◽  
Florian Reinwald ◽  
Roswitha Weichselbaumer ◽  
Alexandra Jiricka-Pürrer

Spatial planning holds a key role in preventing or mitigating the impacts of climate change on both cities and rural areas, taking a forward-thinking and holistic approach to urban and regional development. As such, spatial planning deals with challenges occurring at different scales and across sectors. The international literature points out the need for horizontal and vertical cooperation to tackle climate change impacts. While there is abundant knowledge regarding the challenges related to climate change at different spatial levels, procedural integration into planning frameworks and practice is currently under-researched. This paper presents a novel theoretical framework that integrates various steps towards a holistic, integrative and adaptive climate proofing process. An iterative process was used for conceptual development, based on literature review followed by external feedback meetings and two workshops with the core team of planning experts responsible for exchange across federal states. By specifically addressing the challenges relating to cross-regional and cross-sectoral planning, this novel framework attempts to (i) facilitate a hierarchy of measures, (ii) maximise co-benefits for various adaptation purposes and climate change mitigation and (iii) foster the long-term institutionalisation of integrative processes across sectors, planning areas and policy levels.


Atmosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 410
Author(s):  
Iván López ◽  
Jordi Ortega ◽  
Mercedes Pardo

Cities are key actors in the fight against climate change since they are major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while at the same time they experience the negative impact of this phenomenon. Mitigating and adapting to climate change requires fundamental changes in urbanism and city automobile traffic. Superblocks, a grid of blocks and basic roads forming a polygon, approximately 400 by 400 m, are one of the instruments for such changes. These type of city Superblocks represent a new model of mobility that restructures the typical urban road network, thereby substantially reducing automobile traffic, and accordingly GHG emissions, while increasing green space in the city and improving the health and quality of life of its inhabitants. Furthermore, the Superblocks do not require investment in hard infrastructures, nor do they involve demolishing buildings or undertaking massive development; they are in fact very low-tech urbanism. The city of Barcelona has been implementing Superblocks as one of the measures to combat climate change with very positive results. The paper analyzes the concept of the Superblock and its relation with climate change in cities. Along these lines, it analyzes the pioneer experience of Barcelona in the development and implementation of the Superblocks, as a radical plan aimed at taking back the streets from cars. The role of political power and institutional leadership has been key in societal acceptance and the achievement of tangible results. But there are also obstacles and drawbacks in the development of these types of Superblocks, such as the necessity to redesign the collective transport network so that car traffic can truly be reduced in cities, the possible negative influence on traffic going in and out of the city, the lack of visible advantages if they are not implemented in the entire city, the risk of gentrification in the areas with Superblocks, public opposition, and opposition from certain sectors of the business community.


The built environment with its high energy consumption and carbon emissions during the building life cycle has played a significant role in environmental degradation and global warming. Today the built environment accounts for more than half of global energy use and more than one-third of greenhouse gas emissions in the developed and developing world. New concepts of multidisciplinary design must be generated to develop a climate-responsive and energy-efficient built environment which adapts to the changing environmental conditions and mitigates the causes of the rapid change. By doing so, the building sector can drastically reduce its GHG emissions. Moreover, buildings can also adapt to the constant changes in the environment using emerging technologies such as the use of dynamic climate adaptive building envelopes. This paper presents an overview of climate change theory and its relationship to the built environment and novel methods of mitigation and adaptation.


Author(s):  
Michele N Dempster

In light of the 2009 United Nations Copenhagen climate change conference, South Africa announced that in order to combat climate change it would commit to reducing domestic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 and 42 per cent by 2025. Due to this commitment, a carbon tax will be implemented as from 1 January 2015. This market-based instrument has received broad attention sparking debate as industries most affected, namely Eskom and the petroleum sector, have rallied together in complaint. The main debate being that despite the politically ambitious commitment to reduce GHG emissions, little scientific, economic or comparative evidence has been given to show that an influence will actually be had on the amount of GHG emitted. The purpose of this article is not to provide a detailed analysis of the entire scope of the South African climate change policy. It focuses on the more limited issue of carbon taxation. This does not however mean that the numerous other competing policy options, which still beg for attention, are not viable or will not be implemented in the future.


2014 ◽  
pp. 148-189
Author(s):  
Angie Poliquit

The socio-economic contribution of livestock production to global livelihood and food security offsets its negative effects on the environment through greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. Livestocks are emitters of GHGs, carbon dioxide (CO2) from land conversion and deforestation, nitrous oxide (N2O) from manure and slurry, and methane (CH4) from animal digestion which significantly contribute to climate change. Climate change has both direct and indirect impacts on animal farming. Thus, the main concern nowadays is toward the development of programs for adaptation and mitigation of GHG emissions. This review provides knowledge about climate change impacts on livestock production systems with the identification of strategies for livestock adaptation to climate change and mitigation of GHG emissions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-91
Author(s):  
Kabita Ghale ◽  
Shailendra Kumar Yadav ◽  
Neeru Thapa ◽  
Jit Narayan Sah

Diverse physiography and topography have made the landscape of Nepal fragile and highly vulnerable to climate change. Bamboo is likely to be highly able to stock carbon due to its rapid and easy growth. Here we explore the potentiality of bamboo to combat climate change impacts and biodiversity conservation through mitigation. The mitigation potentiality is studied through biomass and biomass carbon estimation along with soil carbon estimation. Data collected through participatory resource mapping, direct field observation and biophysical measurements were analyzed for biomass estimation and carbon stocking in the biomass and soil of bamboo stand, using Statistical analysis. The study revealed that Melocanna baccifera yielded the highest potential biomass carbon density of 109.41 tons C/plot, followed by Bambusa Nepalensis and Himalayacalamus Fimbriatus of 85.10 tonsC/plot and 64.58 tons C/plot, respectively. However, the soil under Himalayacalamus fimbriatus yielded the highest potential soil organic carbon of 49.24 tons C/plot, followed by the soil under Bambusa Nepalensis and Melocana Bacifera of 38.69 tons C/plot and 27.91 tons C/plot, respectively. Unsustainable extraction of bamboo was highly threatening, therefore, conservation education is recommended to aware local people of the importance of bamboo having the potential to fight against climate change and bringing harmony between biodiversity conservation and traditional culture is recommended.


Author(s):  
Ayuk Macbert Nkongho ◽  
Cherabe Nchomba George

As we embrace the new millennium of the 21st century, the threats to the environment are unprecedented. However, none of these threats is as immense as global warming. Environmental management and conservation actions are floundering in the face of climate change as the latter poses a complex, bewildering array of impacts to the environment particularly on the state, individuals, communities, and cultures, as well as on natural resources (land, water, and air). Because of this, there is the need for the protection and promotion of climate change justice. The problem facing policy-makers and environmental stakeholders is how to plan within the context of global warming and to implement strategies for increasing the resistance and resilience of the environment to climate change impacts. This is because climate change is an issue of reality and is seemingly difficult to understand and to be plan for. It is, therefore, vital that a justice-centered approach is adopted to combat climate change. This article, therefore, seeks to analyze the causes and impacts of climate change, designs strategies and recommendations which is hope to address the adverse effects of climate change on human rights and the environment.


1970 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganesh Kawadia ◽  
Era Tiwari

This study is based on the empirical investigation of the climate change adaptation measures adopted by the farmers in the Chambal basin. The adaptation measures were analysed after investigating the nature and impact of climate change in the region. Four representative districts were selected using control sampling. A representative sample of farmers was selected through stratified snowball sampling technique. Descriptive statistics and case study methods were used for results and analysis. Detailed irrigation profiles of the farmers were traced. The moisture index was calculated based on secondary data. A sampling survey method of investigation was used in the study. This paper also presents the context of maladaptation of monoculture in the region and severe groundwater depletion associated with this practice. The study directs policy to strengthen water-harvesting measures in the region to facilitate the adaptation measures for coping with the effects of climate change on agriculture.


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