Nadia (Global Warming)

8/12/2019 Nadia (Global Warming)

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CIVIL & STRUCTURE DEPARTMENTFACULTY OF ENGINEERING & BUILT

ENVIRONMENTTHE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA

KKKH4284 SUSTAINABLE URBAN PLANNING

TASK 6: GLOBAL WARMING

Lecturers:

PROF. IR. DR. RIZA ARIQ ABDULLAH BIN O.K RAHMAT

DR. MUHAMMAD NAZRI BIN BORHAN

PM. NORLIZA BT MOHD AKHIR

Students’ Name:

NURUL NADIA BINTI MOHAMAD YAMIN A134110



social, economic and climatic stresses will be both worst affected and least able to adapt. These

will include many in the developing world, low-lying islands and coastal regions, and the urban

poor.

The Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) and the Kyoto Protocol (1997) represent

the first steps taken by the international community to protect the Earth's climate from dangerous

man-made interference. Currently, nations have agreed to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions by an average of about 5% from 1990 levels by the period 2008 to 2012. The UK,

through its Climate Change Programme, has committed itself to a 12.5% cut in greenhouse gas

emissions. Additional commitments for further greenhouse gas emission reduction will need to

be negotiated during the early part of the 21st century, if levels of greenhouse gas concentrations

in the atmosphere are to be stabilised at reasonable levels. Existing and future targets can be

achieved by embracing the concept of sustainable development - development today that does

not compromise the development needs of future generations. In practical terms, this means

using resources, particularly fossil-fuel-derived energy, more efficiently, re-using and recycling

products where possible, and developing renewable forms of energy which are inexhaustible and

do not pollute the atmosphere.

2.0 MITIGATION

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Mitigation of global warming involves taking actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to

enhance sinks aimed at reducing the extent of global warming. This is in distinction to adaptation

to global warming, which involves taking action to minimise the effects of global warming.

Scientific consensus on global warming, together with the precautionary principle and the fear of

non-linear climate transitions, is leading to increased effort to develop new technologies and

sciences and carefully manage others in an attempt to mitigate global warming.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) for coal-fired power stations has been put forward as a

solution to rising greenhouse gas emissions. However, CCS cannot deliver in time to avoid

dangerous increases in temperatures, as widespread commercial use of CCS is not expected

before 2030.



Following the introduction of government mandatory renewable energy targets, more

opportunities have opened up for renewable energy technologies such as wind power,

photovoltaics, and solar thermal technologies. The deployment of these technologies provides

opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gases.

2.2 GOVERNMENT POLICY

Some components of the government's emissions reductions strategy have been:

ssions

trading scheme that would have established a market in greenhouse gas permits);

storage";

‖

2.3 AGRICULTURE

Feeding the planet’s ever -expanding population while dealing with climate change will require a

new way of thinking about agriculture. Current farming methods are depleting the earth’s

resources and producing alarming quantities of greenhouse gases — agriculture operations

currently produce 13 percent of human-based global GHG emissions. The environment is paying

a huge price in biodiversity loss and deforestation, while the global economy leaks billions of US

dollars per year on conventional agriculture’s economic side effects.

Turning agriculture a brighter shade of green will not only ease pressure on the environment and

help cope with climate change, but will also create opportunities to diversify economies, increase

yields, reduce costs, and generate jobs — which will in turn help reduce poverty and increase food

security. Increasing farm yields and improving ecosystems services will be a boon to the 2.6

billion people who depend on agriculture for a livelihood, particularly in developing nations

where most farmers live on small parcels in rural areas.



Huge gains can be made for a greener future by simply reducing agricultural waste and

inefficiency. Nearly 50 percent of food produced is lost through crop loss or waste during

storage, distribution, marketing, and household use. Some of these inefficiencies — especially

crop and storage losses — can be addressed with small investments in simple farming and storage

technologies.

Greening agriculture will require investment, research, and capacity building. UNEP’s

contribution to this global effort includes the following innovative programmes:

Deforestation).

issions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)

2.4 FOREST

Forest goods and services support the livelihoods of over 1 billion people, most of whom are

poor and live in developing countries. They also sustain over 50 percent of the Earth’s species,

regulate our climate through the carbon cycle, and protect watersheds. Yet this priceless

resource, a fundamental component of our ecological infrastructure, is being threatened by

deforestation and forest degradation at a rate of 13 million hectares per year.

Halting deforestation may be a good investment: models suggest that investing just US$ 40

billion per year from 2010 to 2050 in reforestation and payments to landholders for conservation

could raise value added in the forest industry by 20 percents, and at the same time increase forest

carbon storage by 28 percent.

What is needed is a stable global regime that would attract investment in forest-derived goods

and assure their equitable and sustainable production. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation

and forest Degradation (REDD) may offer one of the best possibilities for establishing this type

of regime. REDD aims to create financial value for forest carbon storage, while REDD+ goes



beyond the programme’s initial mission and includes conservation, sustainable forest

management, and enhancing forest stocks.

2.5 ENERGY

As populations and incomes grow, so does the demand for energy. Our thirst for energy services

is one of the biggest challenges to mitigating climate change and building a greener future. While

the global community wrestles with climate change, it must also grapple with a host of issues

resulting from current patterns of energy consumption, including energy security, pollution, and

enduring energy poverty. The current fossil fuel-heavy energy system is not only

environmentally unsustainable, but also highly inequitable, leaving some 1.4 billion people

without access to electricity. Moreover, much of this growing energy demand is occurring in

developing countries, where rising fossil fuel prices and resources constraints are putting

additional pressure on the environment and the economy.

Fortunately, there is another way. Once considered an ―unrealistic‖ alternative, today renewable

energies are a growing presence on the global scene. In 2010, new investments in renewable

energies reached a record high of US$ 211 billion, with noticeable growth in emerging

economies. While there is much progress to be made, decreasing costs and increasing

deployment experience are making renewables more and more competitive with fossil fuels,

especially when the latter’s negative externalities, like pollution and health impacts, are taken

into account. But in order to move towards a greener energy path, governments and local

institutions will need to increase their involvement.

UNEP’s Energy branch focuses on aiding governments and regions— particularly in developing

countries — make this green energy transition, offering support and training regarding technical

assessments, policies, and finance.

2.6 MANUFACTURING

Responsible for some 35 percent of global electricity use, 20 percent of CO2 emissions, and a

quarter of primary resource extraction, manufacturing has a major impact on the environment

and must be factored into the climate change equation. At the same time, the sector’s economic



importance cannot be ignored: including extraction and construction, manufacturing currently

accounts for 23 percent of worldwide employment.

Changing the way industries make things will go a long way towards mitigating manufacturing’s

negative environmental impacts. In some cases, simply re-designing a product can improve not

only the product’s life span, but also lead to a more efficient use of resources, easier recycling,

and less pollution during the manufacturing process and life of the product. Modern innovations

like recycling heat waste and closed-cycle manufacturing can save both resources and money.

Remanufacturing and reconditioning, both labor-intensive activities, can create jobs and require

relatively little capital investment.

To enable these innovations, regulatory reforms and new policies will need to be set in motion,

as well as mechanisms that ensure that environmental cost is factored into producers’

calculations.

UNEP’s work on manufacturing-related climate change issues includes:

Sustainable Consumption and Production branch

2.7 TRANSPORT

Current methods of getting from one place to another are generating serious problems for both

human wellbeing and the environment. Transport gobbles up over half of the planet’s liquid

fossil fuels and is responsible for almost a quarter of energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG)

emissions. Our motorized lifestyle is causing widespread air pollution, over a million fatal traffic

accidents per year, and chronic traffic congestion — impacts that can cost countries more than 10

percent of their gross domestic product.

For the moment, there is little sign that the global appetite for vehicular transport is diminishing.

Vehicle use in developing countries is increasing — at the current rate, the global



vehicle fleet is set to triple by 2050. Yet investments in public transportation and vehicle

efficiency can yield exceptional economic returns. Several studies show that a green, low-carbon

transport sector could reduce GHG emissions from the sector by as much 70 percent, with

minimal additional investment. And when sustainable regulatory policies are added to the mix,

the road to greener transport begins to look a lot shorter.

For this transformation to happen, however, there needs to be a major shift in the way we think

about investing in transport. UNEP proposes a three-pronged strategy: Avoid – Shift – Clean. Help

users avoid or reduce trips — without restricting mobility — through smarter city planning and

land use options. Shift passengers away from private vehicles to public and non-motorized

transport, and freight users from trucks to rail or water transport. Finally, make vehicles cleaner,

through both efficiency improvements and cleaner fuels.

UNEP’s Transport Programme is working towards this paradigm shift through several initiatives

and programmes, including:

Economy Initiative

2.8 TOURISM

Nothing seems to be able to quell the human urge to visit foreign places. The tourism sector

currently accounts for 5 percent of global GDP and continues to grow, particularly in developing

countries. Tourism is one of the top five export earners in 150 countries, and the number one

export in 60. While this may be good news for national economies, if not properly managed it

can be bad news for the environment and local populations. Tourists are traveling more often and

to more distant destinations, using more energy-intensive, fossil fuel-based transport, and the

sector’s greenhouse gas (GHG) contribution has increased to 5 percent of global emissions.

Other unsustainable practices, such as excessive water use, waste generation, and habitat

encroachment are threatening ecosystems, biodiversity, and local culture.



But if done right, tourism can be a positive force for both the local economy and the

environment. Green tourism aims to reduce poverty by creating local jobs and stimulating local

business, while establishing ecologically sustainable practices that preserve resources and reduce

pollution. Currently, far too little of tourism profits touch the people living in and near tourist

destinations. Increasing local involvement can not only generate income but also encourage

communities to protect their environment. Investing in energy efficiency and waste management

can reduce GHG emissions and pollution and also save hotel owners and service providers

money. Under the right circumstances, natural areas, biodiversity, and cultural heritage — three of

the main reasons people travel in the first place — can all reap the benefits of sustainable tourism.

UNEP hosts the secretariat of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism an initiative

designed to inject sustainability principles into the mainstream of tourism policies, development,

and operations.

2.9 BUILDINGS

Approximately one third of the world’s energy use takes place inside buildings. This has earned

the building sector the dubious honor of being the Earth’s biggest contributor to greenhouse gas

(GHG) emissions. What’s more, the construction industry consumes more than one third of the

planet’s resources and generates huge quantities of solid waste. Clearly, any attempt to improve

resource efficiency must take buildings into account.

If today’s building sector has an oversized ecological footprint, there is considerable hope for

reducing it in the green future. Improving energy efficiency in buildings through greener

construction methods and retrofitting existing structures can make an enormous difference in

reducing GHG emissions. Moreover, many of these improvements can be realized at a low cost,

using existing technologies. Green construction can also have a positive effect on productivity,

public health, and even employment: according to estimates, every US $ 1 million invested could

result in ten to fourteen jobs.

2.9.1 Cities

Cities are growing quickly, especially in developing countries. Urban areas are now home to

some 50 percent of the planet’s population, use a good 60 percent of available energy, and



account for an equal share of carbon emissions. Rapid urbanization is affecting water supplies,

public health, environment, and quality of life, especially for the poor. Fundamental changes in

urban development will have to take place in order to build a sustainable future.

Fortunately, the very density of cities may turn out to be their strongest advantage. Characterized

by proximity, variety, and density, cities can be fertile ground for collaboration between local

and national governments, civil society, private partnerships, and academia — all of whose input

will be essential to the greening of our urban areas. With the right policies, practices, and

infrastructures in place, cities can be green models for efficient transport, water treatment,

construction, and resource use.

UNEP’s Sustainable Buildings and Climate Initiative (SBCI) is a partnership of major public and

private stakeholders in the buildings sector working to promote sustainable building policies and

practices worldwide.

Other UNEP work on buildings and cities includes the following projects:

Boughzoul, Algeria

2.10 WASTE

As countries’ economies grow, so does the volume of their garbage. According to estimates,

some 11.2 billion metric tonnes of solid waste are currently being collected around the world

every year, and the decay of the organic portion is contributing around 5 percent of global

greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). What’s more, rubbish is becoming increasingly complex. The

fastest growing waste stream in both developing and developed countries is electrical and

electronic products, which contain hazardous substances that make disposal even more of a

challenge. Human health and the environment are increasingly at risk, particularly when

dumpsites are uncontrolled or volume becomes unmanageable. Illnesses and infections, ground



water pollution, GHG emission, and ecosystem destruction are just some of the impacts of our

overfilled global dustbin.

Turning the waste stream a brighter shade of green, however, can actually create economic

opportunities. Managing waste, from collection to recycling, is a growing market, currently

estimated at US$ 410 billion per year, not including the substantial informal segment in

developing countries. Recycling, in particular, will grow with a greening of the waste sector, and

actually creates more jobs than it replaces. Investment in greener waste management can produce

many environmental and economic benefits, including resource savings, nature protection, and

employment and business opportunities.

Of course, the best way to manage waste is to produce less of it, and minimizing waste is the first

essential step towards greening the sector. The goal is to produce as little waste as possible,

recycle or remanufacture as much as possible, and treat any unavoidable waste in a manner that

is the least harmful to the environment and humans — or even as a source of sustainable energy.

UNEP’s Sustainable Consumption and Production branch is working on several aspects of the

waste puzzle. Other UNEP offices running waste-related projects and programmes include:

3.0 ADAPTATION

3.1 INTRODUCTION

―Adaptation‖ refers to efforts by society or ecosystems to prepare for or adjust to future climate

change. These adjustments can be protective (i.e., guarding against negative impacts of climate

change), or opportunistic (i.e., taking advantage of any beneficial effects of climate change).

Adaptation to changes in climate is nothing new. Throughout history, human societies have

repeatedly demonstrated a strong capacity for adapting to different climates and environmental

changes--whether by migration to new areas, changing the crops we cultivate, or building

different types of shelter. However, the current rate of global climate change is unusually high

compared to past changes that society has experienced. In an increasingly interdependent world,



negative effects of climate change on one population or economic sector can have repercussions

around the world.

Ecosystems will also be faced with adaptation challenges. Some species will be able to migrate

or change their behavior to accommodate changes in climate. Other species may go extinct.

Society's ability to anticipate some of the impacts of climate change on ecosystems can help us

develop management programs that help ecosystems adapt.

Even if current climate changes seem readily absorbed today, governments and communities are

beginning adaptation planning. Many greenhouse gases remain in the atmosphere for 100 years

or more after they are emitted. Because of the long-lasting effects of greenhouse gases, those

already emitted into the atmosphere will continue to warm Earth in the 21st century, even if we

were to stop emitting additional greenhouse gases today. Earth is committed to some amount of

future climate change, no matter what. Therefore, steps can be taken now to prepare for, and

respond to, the impacts of climate change that are already occurring, and those that are projected

to occur in the decades ahead.

There are limits to the ability to adapt, so actions to mitigate climate change must continue. For

example, the relocation of communities or infrastructure may not be feasible in many locations,

especially in the short term. Over the long term, adaptation alone may not be

sufficient to cope with all the projected impacts of climate change. Adaptation will need to be

continuously coupled with actions to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

3.2 ADAPTATION THROUGH LOCAL PLANNING

Local landuse and municipal planning represent important avenues for adaptation to global

warming. These forms of planning are recognised as central to avoiding the impacts of climate

related hazards such as floods and heat stress, planning for demographic and consumption

transition, and plans for ecosystem conservation. This type of planning is different from the

National Adaptation Programs of Action (NAPAs) which are intended to be frameworks for

prioritizing adaptation needs. At the local scale, municipalities are at the coal face of adaptation

where impacts are experienced in the forms of inundation, bushfires, heatwaves and rising sea

levels.



Cities are planning for adapting to global warming and climate change. The New York Times

began a series of articles on this subject with Chicago's adaptation initiatives being highlighted.

Projects include changing to heat tolerant tree varieties, changing to water permeable pavements

to absorb higher rainfalls and adding air conditioning in public schools. New York and other

cities are involved in similar planning. Carefully planned water storage could help urban areas

adapt to increasingly severe storms by increasing rainwater storage (domestic water butts,

unpaved gardens etc.) and increasing the capacity of stormwater systems (and also separating

stormwater from blackwater, so that overflows in peak periods do not contaminate rivers).

According to English Nature, gardeners can help mitigate the effects of climate change by

providing habitats for the most threatened species, and/or saving water by changing gardens to

use plants which require less.

Adaptation through local planning occurs in two distinct modes. The first is strategic planning,

which is important but not unique to local governments. At the local scale it fosters community

vision, aspirational goals and place-making, along with defining pathways to achieve these goals.

The second form is land-use planning, and is focused on the allocation of space to balance

economic prosperity with acceptable living standards and the conservation of natural

resources. Although these two types of planning are quite different in practice, and in many cases

are managed by different departments, we propose that both are highly important to climate

change adaptation, and can contribute to achieving adaptation at the local scale. Significant

constraints are recognised to hinder adaptation through planning, including limited resources,

lack of information, competing planning agendas and complying with requirements from other

levels of government. Examples of adaptation include defending against rising sea levels through

better flood defenses, and changing patterns of land use like avoiding more vulnerable areas for

housing.

Planning for rising sea levels is one of the key challenges for local planning in response toclimate change. Many national governments around the world have attempted to address the

problem of rising sea levels through policy and planning reforms designed to increase adaptive

capacity. In the United States, many state and local governments are now assessing innovative,

locality-specific options for sea-level rise adaptation. Although adaptation planning occurs



through a variety of processes, local adaptation initiatives in the U.S. often pass through three

stages of adaptation planning:

1. building community awareness of sea level rise as a local risk,

2. undertaking a scientific assessment of these risks in the medium and long-terms, and

3. using a public process to develop an adaptation plan and supportive policies.

3.3 ENHANCING ADAPTIVE CAPACITY

In a literature assessment, Smit et al. (2001) concluded that enhanced adaptive capacity would

reduce vulnerability to climate change. In their view, activities that enhance adaptive capacity

are essentially equivalent to activities that promote sustainable development. These activities

include:

esources

dge, and experiences

3.4 AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION



sustainable way

, by engaging the

private sector

3.4.3 Forest resources

The forestry resources are most crucial means of adaptation to forest dependent people whose

lives have been depending on it. If long duration of drought persist, definitely affect to rain-fed

agricultural system. In this situation, people can collect the edible fruits, roots and leaves for

their life survival. Similarly, forest resources provides not only goods but also services such as

regulation of ecosystem, maintain linkage of upstream-downstream through watershed

conservation, carbon sequestration and aesthetic value. These services become crucial part of life

sustained through increased adaptive capacity of poor, vulnerable, women and socially excluded

communities.

3.4.4 Rainwater storage

Providing farmers with access to a range of water stores could help them overcome dry spells

that would otherwise cause their crops to fail. Field studies have shown the effectiveness of

small-scale water storage. For example, according to the International Water Management

Institute, using small planting basins to 'harvest' water in Zimbabwe has been shown to boost

maize yields, whether rainfall is abundant or scarce. And in Niger, they have led to three or

fourfold increases in millet yields.

3.5 WEATHER CONTROL

Russian and American scientists have in the past tried to control the weather, for example by

seeding clouds with chemicals to try to produce rain when and where it is needed. A new method



being developed involves replicating the urban heat island effect, where cities are slightly hotter

than the countryside because they are darker and absorb more heat. This creates 28% more rain

20 – 40 miles downwind from cities compared to upwind. On the timescale of several decades,

new weather control techniques may become feasible which would allow control of extreme

weather such as hurricanes.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) through its Commission for Atmospheric

Sciences (CAS) has issued a "STATEMENT ON WEATHER MODIFICATION" as well as

"GUIDELINES FOR THE PLANNING OF WEATHER MODIFICATION ACTIVITIES" in

2007, stating among others that "Purposeful augmentation of precipitation, reduction of hail

damage, dispersion of fog and other types of cloud and storm modifications by cloud seeding are

developing technologies which are still striving to achieve a sound scientific foundation and

which have to be adapted to enormously varied natural conditions."

3.6 DAMMING GLACIAL LAKE

Glacial lake outburst floods may become a bigger concern due to the retreat of glaciers, leaving

behind numerous lakes that are impounded by often weak terminal moraine dams. In the past, the

sudden failure of these dams has resulted in localized property damage, injury and deaths.

Glacial lakes in danger of bursting can have their moraines replaced with concrete dams (which

may also provide hydroelectric power)

3.7 GEOENGINEERING

In a literature assessment, Barker et al. (2007) described geoengineering as a type of mitigation

policy. IPCC (2007) concluded that geoengineering options, such as ocean fertilization to

remove CO2 from the atmosphere, remained largely unproven. It was judged that reliable cost

estimates for geoengineering had not been published.

The Royal Society (2009) published the findings of a study into geoengineering. The authors of

the study defined geoengineering as a "deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth's climate

system, in order to moderate global warming" (p. ix). According to the study, the safest and most

predictable method of moderating climate change is early action to reduce GHG emissions.



Scientists such as Ken Caldeira and Paul Crutzen, suggest geoengineering techniques, which can

be employed to change the climate deliberately and thus control some of the effects of global

warming. These include:

tation to global warming. Techniques such

as space sunshade, creating stratospheric sulfur aerosols and painting roofing and paving

materials white all fall into this category.

- typically seeking to preserve sea ice or adjust thermohaline

circulation by using methods such as diverting rivers to keep warm water away from sea ice, or

tethering icebergs to prevent them drifting into warmer waters and melting. This may be seen as

an adaptation technique, although by preventing Arctic methane release it may also have

mitigation aspects as well.

Nadia (Global Warming)

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