Arid environments are characterized by a natural scarcity of fresh water and precipitation. Currently, arid environments cover over 30% of the world’s land surface, a percentage that is set to increase with climate change in the coming century. Cities in these regions face complex challenges such as water scarcity, inadequate infrastructure, rapidly growing populations, and impacts on public
health from the effects of urban heat islands.
Yet most cities in arid environments are still planned and designed based on a global city making paradigm established during the middle parts of the 20th century. This one-size-fits-all approach, characterized by private car ownership and separate land uses connected by highway networks, fails to respond to specific climatic contexts and needs. The imperative for cities in arid environments to plan, design and build more sustainable and resilient cities is clear. Adopting strategies that combine technological innovation with locally adapted and climatically appropriate solutions can help cities and communities mitigate the effects of climate change and provide positive long-term social, environmental and economic benefits.
Today, the arid regions are homes to a number of cities, that
up until a century ago, had no capability to support millions of inhabitants. Cities like Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi could not support
current population levels without innovations such as desalination technology, access to global food supply chains, climate-controlled
buildings, personal cars, and complex engineering projects such as
the Hoover dam and Umm Al Nar power and desalination plant.
The drawback is that many of the same technological innovations that have enabled explosive growth and dramatic increases in quality of life are unsustainable and have resulted in new
environmental challenges. These include climate change, desertification and degraded local habitats,
water scarcity, public health issues related to air pollution and urban heat islands. These challenges underscore the need to radically rethink the way cities in arid environments are planned and designed in the 21st century.
2024. IV. 17. ODT ülés Az ODT következő ülésére 2024. június 14-én, pénteken 10.00 órakor kerül sor a Semmelweis Egyetem Szenátusi termében (Bp. Üllői út 26. I. emelet).
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