WHEN climate change experts, knowledge brokers, environmentalists, policy makers and the general public talk about climate change adaptation and mitigation, they tend to overlook or ignore the urban areas as prime targets of climate change impacts as well. As such, municipalities in towns and cities appear not leading the way in coming up with sustainable awareness, education and training in urban-related adaptation and mitigation programmes in order to plug the existing knowledge gaps between city fathers, building designers, manufacturers and the general public.
Peter Makwanya
Due to the conscious or unconscious neglect of urban areas in terms of climate change issues and as hot-beds of land degradation, they are likely to experience climate impacts of severe magnitude as they are being gradually nurtured without knowing. Urban areas adaptation and mitigation programmes need to be clean, cost-effective, eco-conscious and sustainable ways of living designed for the 21st century green living. Urban areas in Zimbabwe, as part of the developing countries consortium, with structural appetite for green-growth need to adopt these sustainable life-long and resilient strategies, so as to fit very well in the eco-friendly building paradigm. Lack of water conservation techniques and firm water retention policies in urban areas would contribute to water stresses and scarcities as dry peri-urban plains would be more prone to forest fires. Urban planners and developers need to take guard against massive and unregulated urban expansion programmes that threaten the natural ecosystem balance as arable land is converted into urban landscapes. Biodiversity loss can as well come up as another ingredient for climate change acceleration. The 21st century urban climate impacts will be necessitated by how municipalities in towns and cities pay-lip service to green building technologies. When vote-buying clouds our thinking through wild parcelling of stands, while municipalities become disempowered and watch helplessly while urban green and blue spaces cease to be backbones to climate change adaptation and mitigation, it would be disaster in the making.
In this regard, urban planners need to be afforded the chance to plan for green infrastructure development so as to maintain the balance of biodiversity and natural ecosystems. As a result, this would witness the unfolding of water retention measures in relatively cool urban areas, necessary for sustainable water security. Manufacturers of roofing materials also need to focus on the introduction of green roofs and walls that would reduce effects of high temperatures, thereby contributing to sustainable aeration. Then if people are taught to use their hearts to think, this kind of green literacy would remain a pipe dream.
Green-economy concepts are valuable tools that can inspire the next generation of construction companies and architects to transform the country’s green building industry, earth systems, clean energy technologies and the promotion of a strong and sustainable economic growth. Sustainable building practices need to be practised nowadays as they do not sacrifice the environment. The initiative is to design and build state-of-the-art houses without spoiling the essence of the environment. Zimbabwe, like any other developing country, needs to invest heavily in current eco-friendly building methods and best practices so that its buildings form part of a natural landscape complementing nature harmony and serenity. Some important concepts that architects and construction companies should take note of when designing houses are sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy saving techniques, type of building materials, indoor-environmental quality, adaptation and resilient procedures in a changing climate.
The building site should conform to eco-friendly ethos and in certain types of irregular land scape the houses need to be an extension of that particular landscape. Nowadays builders are putting more glass on their buildings as it allows adequate light and also reflect heat. Environmentally and sustainably designed houses do not need lots of air conditioning. Favourable materials are those that keep away lots of sunshine during summer and also would absorb it during the winter season. In other words, this is the type of a house that possess self-regulatory weather mechanisms. The sustainable houses should allow minimal and enough air and light, to circulate thereby giving them a cooling effect.
Other construction companies are also in favour of water proof type of cement additives for the prevention of rising dampness in wet areas. As such, modern construction companies are turning to green building styles and materials for sustainable urbanisation. This also demands sustainable energy forms in order to improve on the current state of the infrastructure common mainly in most developing countries, Zimbabwe included. Therefore, local architects are called upon to look inwardly for sustainable locally and environmentally friendly building materials and strategies that could usher in a new model of sustainable living in Zimbabwe.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Locally designed and constructed building materials do not promote gross greenhouse gas emissions that, in the long run would endanger the environment and the health of the inhabitants. Locally manufactured eco-building materials are also cost-saving and a reduction to the import bill. It is high time that construction companies should compete for advertising space on the television and print forms in order to sell out their green agendas suitable for the 21st century as well as harsh climate change impacts. Sustainable green building programmes should be designed to provide housing solutions that are aimed at avoiding environmental degradation. As such, modern high-rising buildings are the answer as they do not consume vast tracts of land. Green building programmes should leave out land surrounding their newly built houses untampered with, for natural growth to complement the buildings.
The urban play centres and recreational parks that are fast disappearing because of neglect, used to play major roles in improving the quality of lives of the urban dwellers. However, knowledge gaps still exist between the urban planners and the current crop of politicians we have. Urban based adaptation and mitigation should contribute to climate change resilience, in combating urban waste pollution, noise pollution, excessive heat, and flood controlling mechanisms. The restoration and preservation of green spaces in urban landscapes becomes a bonus to nature retention and preservation for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Municipalities in towns and cities need to establish sustainable working relationships with NGOs or rather spearhead programmes that have a lot to with green capacitating enhancements. For the urban adaptation and mitigation measures to be successful, it is also necessary that the general public are equipped with information and working knowledge of green spaces and green building initiatives.
When the public is not empowered with this kind of knowledge, that is when they would be found participating in programmes that contribute to land degradation and unsustainable waste management measures in ignorance. As such, that lack of information can be dangerous to their livelihoods. Our urban municipalities also appear bankrupt in the knowledge regarding benefits of short and long term planning initiatives.
Construction companies and manufacturers who still use air-conditioners that emit greenhouse gases need to be encouraged to move with the current times. As such, modern construction companies need to phase out these environmentally unfriendly air-conditioning machines which compromise the health of the inhabitants as well as the well-being of the environment. Also, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), urban houses which both raise temperatures and trap pollutants, have no place in the 21st century, as heat-stress and air pollution kill about four million people every year.
Peter Makwanya is a Climate change communicator. He writes in his own capacity and can be contacted on: [email protected]
