With the current climate change impacts on cities, one way to alleviate is via the LCT initiatives. Low-carbon transport initiatives can have significant development impacts by addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges.

Here are some examples of development impact in the low-carbon transport sector:

Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Transitioning from fossil fuel-based transportation to low-carbon alternatives like electric vehicles (EVs), hydrogen-powered vehicles, and public transit systems powered by renewable energy sources can substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This mitigates climate change and its associated impacts, such as extreme weather events and sea-level rise.

Improved Air Quality: Low-carbon transport systems, including electric buses and bikes, reduce air pollution, leading to better air quality in cities. This can reduce respiratory diseases and associated healthcare costs, leading to a healthier population.

Enhanced Public Health: Encouraging active transportation, such as walking and cycling, not only reduces carbon emissions but also promotes physical activity. This can help combat the rising rates of obesity and related health issues, thereby reducing healthcare expenditures and improving overall well-being.

Job Creation: The transition to low-carbon transport often involves the manufacturing and deployment of new technologies, such as EVs and charging infrastructure. This can create jobs in manufacturing, research and development, and maintenance, contributing to economic growth.

Reduced Energy Dependence: Low-carbon transport relies on electricity, hydrogen, or biofuels, which can be produced domestically or sustainably sourced. This reduces a country’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, enhancing energy security and reducing trade deficits.

Increased Access to Mobility: Sustainable transport systems, including public transit and shared mobility services, can improve access to education, healthcare, and job opportunities for marginalized communities. This can reduce social inequalities and enhance the overall quality of life.

Urban Planning and Livability: Low-carbon transport encourages more efficient land use and urban planning. It promotes pedestrian-friendly cities, reduces traffic congestion, and enhances the quality of life for residents by creating more livable and walkable urban environments.

Cost Savings: Electric vehicles and other low-carbon transportation options can lead to cost savings for individuals and businesses due to lower fuel and maintenance costs. This can free up resources for other essential needs and investments.

Innovation and Technology Transfer: Investing in low-carbon transport solutions can spur innovation and technology transfer, which can have broader economic benefits beyond the transport sector. It can lead to the development of new industries and export opportunities.

Resilience to Energy Price Volatility: By diversifying energy sources for transportation, countries can reduce their vulnerability to fluctuations in oil prices, enhancing economic stability and resilience.

These examples illustrate how low-carbon transport initiatives can generate a range of development benefits, from environmental sustainability to improved public health and economic growth. Promoting sustainable and accessible transportation is crucial for addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change, urbanization, and social equity

Quoting a sub-topic from the Future Proofing Cities journal: These cities face major climate hazard risks, primarily from flooding. This is a diverse group of cities located across multiple countries, climate zones, and physical geographies. These cities are also diverse economically and in population

term ranging from megacities such as Dhaka to smaller cities such as Kathmandu in Nepal. Many cities within this group have already been significantly impacted by flooding. Dhaka has experienced four major floods in the past two decades.

Within our sample, cities with high flood, cyclone, and landslide risks do not tend to be the same cities as those suffering risks to their water security due to drought as they tend to be located in less drought prone climate zones or on the coast with lower drought risk, although this dynamic could change rapidly with climate change. The cities with significant risks to their water security due to drought are covered under Type 3.

Risks and Opportunities

1. Flooding likely to significantly impact infrastructure and economies.

2. These risks are likely to intensify over time as climate change hazards intensify. This could potentially cause considerable damage to coastal cities due to tidal flooding associated with sea level rise. Increasingly severe flood conditions associated with the increased incidence of extreme precipitation likely to be a major risk for cities located inland.

3. Opportunities to boost their resilience to climate impacts though cost effective solutions to prevent potential future damage costs.

Yesterday, I attended the RS-GIS Based Integrated Analysis and Risk to Climate Change and Disasters Validation and DRR-CCA Options Workshop spearheaded by the staff of the Manila Observatory and was held in the conference room at the 7th floor of Richmonde Hotel in Megaworld, Mandurriao. Manila Observatory partnered with the Oscar M. Lopez Center for the Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation, Inc. and the City Government of Iloilo.

Here are the notes during the seminar:

1. Discussion and analysis of data of the Automated Weather stations (AWS) recently installed in various strategic points in Iloilo City.

2. Climate change and climate projections for Iloilo. Discuss possible predictions and data.

3. Discussion on the Pre-risk Integration, hazards, exposure and vulnerability maps.

4. Afternoon started with a map checking and review workshop. Reactions, comments and related suggestions were then collected and was followed by discussion with each of the scientists.

5. Discussion on the implications of the data presented to risk governance work in Iloilo city (reflections from the city government and other stakeholders)

6.Review of the Iloilo City risk governance plans and on how these can be enhanced by the data presented.