Rapidly expanding cities in very dry parts of the world must be turned into “green urban oases” to ensure they become both healthier places to live in and more resilient to climate change, according to a report.
The report launched recently by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) noted that some 35 percent of the world’s largest cities are built in the world’s drylands. This includes such megacities as Cairo, Mexico City and New Delhi. In all, they are home to more than 2 billion people, 90 percent of them in developing countries.
According to the report, Urban forestry and urban greening in drylands, these sprawling and crowded dryland cities face a high risk of social, environmental and economic crisis as they grow. They are becoming hotter and more polluted and face mounting pressure on their scarce natural resources and weak infrastructure, making them among the most vulnerable places in the world to external shocks from the extreme weather events that climate change brings.
“Preserving and planting trees in these cities has been shown to have a hugely beneficial effect on the lives and health of the people who live there,” said Zhimin Wu, Director of FAO’s Forestry Division. “It is possible to do this even with the very limited amounts of water available in these areas.”
Natural solutions
Currently, more than half of the global population lives in cities and 95 percent of urban growth between now and 2050 is expected to take place in the global South.
The study shows how the potential crises that dryland cities face as they grow can be turned into an opportunity to improve the sustainability, health and well-being of their communities, and reduce the impact of urbanization on biodiversity and the environment.
“Urban forestry and greening strategies have yet to be fully incorporated into urban development in many dryland cities,” said FAO Forestry Officer Simone Borelli. “The report presents compelling evidence that if properly planned and managed, such initiatives can make a powerful contribution to strengthening the resilience of dryland cities and supporting their sustainable development.”