Overview
This report from the USDA’s Climate Change Resource Center asserts that the urban environment presents important considerations for global climate change. Over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Because cities are more dense and walkable, urban per capita emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are often substantially lower than average per capita emissions for the countries in which they are located. Urban areas are also more likely than nonurban areas to have adequate emergency services, and these areas may be better equipped to provide critical assistance to residents in the case of climate-related stress and events such as heatwaves, floods, storms, and disease outbreaks.
However, cities are still major sources of GHG emissions. Studies indicate that cities account for 40% to 70% of all GHG emissions worldwide due to resource consumption and energy, infrastructure, and transportation demands. Highly concentrated urban areas, especially in coastal regions and in developing countries, are disproportionately vulnerable to extreme weather and infectious disease.
Urban forests play an important role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Active stewardship of a community’s forestry assets can strengthen local resilience to climate change while creating more sustainable and desirable places to live.