The future requires construction with a strong ecosystem that can face predictable and unpredictable challenges
The phrase ‘In the city, the possibilities are endless, and the horizon boundless’ captures the essence of the endless opportunities that urban landscapes provide.
Development, a continuous process for a city’s economy, provides significant employment opportunities for its residents. However, in the context of the environmental change framework, the resilience and sustainability factors that must be followed to preserve the community’s well-being have been blatantly ignored.
As a result, the world is facing climate threats due to the expanding urban zones. With people shifting from villages, experts predict that 70 per cent of the global population will live in cities by 2050.
Understandably, city planners are unimpressed and concerned due to the growth of a haphazard architectural landscape. Requiring trillions of dollars to update and improve infrastructure will lead to people becoming more vulnerable to climate variability and environmental damage.
That’s because an increase in global temperature and extreme weather events is characterized by poor planning, weak institutional systems, building materials, land-use patterns and insufficient essential public services.
Preventive action
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) specify that cities should be ‘inclusive, clean, resilient, and sustainable.’ Hence, the methodology should be to focus on these concepts and develop strategies to withstand all eventualities.
While several plans, programs, and initiatives have been undertaken by developed and developing nations, they must also focus on the systems’ ability to bounce back to earlier stable conditions in case of calamities. A city must have the capacity to adjust, adapt and change in response to internal and external pitfalls.
Other community-based initiatives, such as farming projects, digital innovations and data-driven environmental monitoring, can anticipate climate trends, allowing stakeholders to take timely action. They can safeguard future generations, particularly the vulnerable groups - women, children and people with disabilities - from climate threats.
Effective governance
Similarly, strong governance, inclusive of climate-friendly policies and effective leadership, plays a pivotal role in environmental protection. It includes incentivizing sustainable practices, implementing carbon pricing mechanisms and conducting climate risk assessments. At the same time, disaster preparedness is imperative. Investing in disaster response systems is vital for mitigating the impact of catastrophes and emergencies.
Additionally, building robust supply chains to ensure access to essential goods and services during crises is crucial. These must be embedded in urban regulations for long-term sustainability.
As governments, citizens and industries unite to adopt forward-thinking strategies, it will ensure that future generations inherit a healthy environment. In an era of increasing climate uncertainties, cities worldwide require a multi-faceted approach to create future-ready urban spaces.
Just as cities are significant contributors to global carbon emissions, they can also be powerful agents of change. Transitioning to renewable energy sources reduces dependency on fossil fuels and pedestrian-friendly zones, cycling tracks, electric buses and efficient public transportation can transform how urban people commute.
Interspersed with sustainable waste management, recycling programs and composting techniques can further minimize the amount of waste sent to landfills. It inculcates a culture of environmental responsibility in the community and reduces emissions.
Role of the United Nations
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works with nations to develop infrastructure projects. Its mission is to improve and strengthen the living conditions of city residents and displaced populations affected by climate-related events. While collaborating to develop green and sustainable architectural projects, its mandate is to support the SDGs and integrate sustainability into infrastructure planning and financing.
The UN’s lead agency works to transform public and private finance to support its initiatives. Its Sustainable Energy Hub reshapes energy systems and advances development and climate goals. It also supports countries in developing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategies (LT-LEDS).
While NAPs focus on adapting to the impacts of climate change, LT-LEDS aim to transition towards a low-carbon economy. The strategies are interconnected, with NAPs informing LT-LEDS and vice versa. Both are vital for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, which include limiting global warming and building climate resilience.
Smart Facilities approach
UNDP’s Smart Facilities initiatives help UN partners and regimes to build sustainable and digitally enabled infrastructure. With a global presence spanning the Pacific Islands to Sub-Saharan Africa, it joins forces with governments and industries to integrate technology and renewable energy solutions, forming a sustainable fabric.
The UNDP launched the Greening Moonshot initiative, a commitment to cut the organization’s carbon footprint by 50 per cent by 2030. It funded numerous energy and e-mobility projects across its global facilities, collectively avoiding tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually. Besides having a positive impact on the environment, these interventions led to energy saving.
For the past few years, cities have pursued a ‘smart city’ label. However, the terminology now requires an overhaul. A future-ready set-up needs to be not just smart but also endurable and sturdy.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Alnuaimi
Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: Khaleej Times, 06.08.2025
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