Posts tagged with 'Africa'
No Safe Journeys for Women: Why Mobility Systems in African Cities Are Failing Women’s Needs
No Safe Journeys for Women: Why Mobility Systems in African Cities Are Failing Women’s Needs
For a woman living in an African city, public transport can be a daunting experience. Women usually plan their trips in advance, and consider a multitude of factors before setting out: What is the safest way to reach the bus ...
4 Climate Stories That Will Define 2024
4 Climate Stories That Will Define 2024
Last year shattered global heat records. The world witnessed the effects of rising temperatures in the form of devastating wildfires, severe flooding, extreme heatwaves and more. Poor countries and communities who have contributed the least to causing the climate crisis ...
Post-Pandemic, Public Transport Needs to Get Back on Track to Meet Global Climate Goals
Post-Pandemic, Public Transport Needs to Get Back on Track to Meet Global Climate Goals
Public transport is one of the best, most cost-effective solutions available to address today’s climate and development challenges. Buses and trains can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to two-thirds per passenger, per kilometer compared to private vehicles. The UN’s latest ...
What Exactly Are 'Nature-based Solutions'?
What Exactly Are ‘Nature-based Solutions’?
In the Seychelles archipelago in East Africa, flooding and erosion caused by rising sea levels pose an imminent threat to the country’s many low-lying islands. At the same time its mangrove forests, which serve as a vital buffer against these ...
The Future of Extreme Heat in Cities: What We Know — and What We Don’t
The Future of Extreme Heat in Cities: What We Know — and What We Don’t
The past year registered record-shattering global temperatures. People around the world are already witnessing epic heat waves, wildfires and drought at 1.1 degrees C (2 degrees F) of global warming, compared to pre-industrial averages. With current policies putting the world on ...
Lessons From the Global South's Public-Private Climate Collaborations
Lessons From the Global South’s Public-Private Climate Collaborations
As dense hubs of diverse talent, skills and innovation, cities are perfect places for public-private collaboration. In light of urgent calls from the international community for solutions, the wealth of creativity and expertise on urban sustainability in Global South cities can ...
Tracking Climate Action: How the World Can Still Limit Warming to 1.5 Degrees C
Tracking Climate Action: How the World Can Still Limit Warming to 1.5 Degrees C
Today’s climate change headlines often seem at odds with each other. One day, it’s catastrophic wildfires wreaking havoc around the world; the next, it’s an optimistic piece on the rapid scale-up of solar and wind power. Taken together, such stories ...
From Minibuses to 'Boda Bodas,' Informal Transport Systems Could Be an Untapped Climate Change Solution
From Minibuses to ‘Boda Bodas,’ Informal Transport Systems Could Be an Untapped Climate Change Solution
Over 50% of all transport-related emissions come from high-income countries, where people are more likely to own and depend on personal vehicles. Meanwhile, less than 1% is generated by low-income countries in regions like sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. In these ...
Nairobi Highlights Air Quality During Africa Climate Week
Nairobi Highlights Air Quality During Africa Climate Week
Against the backdrop of the Africa Climate Summit and Africa Climate Week, Nairobi hosted the UN Environment Programme’s fourth annual International Clean Air Day for blue skies event with Nairobi City County Governor, Sakaja Johnson, on September 7th, 2023. This ...
Creating a 'Digital Commons' to Harness Data for Africa’s Urban Transport Systems 
Creating a ‘Digital Commons’ to Harness Data for Africa’s Urban Transport Systems 
In Africa, as elsewhere, advances in computing power, data storage, and sensor and satellite technologies have unleashed unprecedented opportunities but also challenges. The mobile phone has become a powerful tool for generating vast amounts of data. This data can, in ...
Introducing UrbanShift City Academy: A New Resource and Learning Platform to Empower Sustainable Urban Development
Introducing UrbanShift City Academy: A New Resource and Learning Platform to Empower Sustainable Urban Development
If you’re a regular reader of TheCityFix, you’re no stranger to the vital role that cities play in shaping the future of our planet. From leading the shift to zero-emission transportation networks to advancing solutions to curb plastic waste at ...
How Africa’s First Chief Heat Officer is Helping to Create a More Resilient Freetown
How Africa’s First Chief Heat Officer is Helping to Create a More Resilient Freetown
“Climate change is affecting cities all around the world, and Freetown is no exception.” That’s what Eugenia Kargbo, Freetown’s Chief Heat Officer, told UrbanShift during the City Academy hosted in Kigali last year. Through her role—the first of its kind in ...
What to Watch at the First Africa Climate Summit
What to Watch at the First Africa Climate Summit
Climate change is already having a significant impact on Africa’s ecosystems, economy and society. This year alone, 1.8 million Africans were displaced during a prolonged drought, the Democratic Republic of Congo experienced catastrophic flooding, and Cyclone Freddy left a trail of destruction in Malawi and Mozambique. ...
As the Earth Gets Hotter, Can Our Cities Get Cooler?
As the Earth Gets Hotter, Can Our Cities Get Cooler?
This summer the Northern Hemisphere has been so hot with record temperatures — including at sea — that discussions have turned to the limits of human survival. Even in the Antarctic, sea ice is failing to re-form, a drastic departure ...
Cities Need a Systems-change Approach to Build Climate-resilient Communities
Cities Need a Systems-change Approach to Build Climate-resilient Communities
Cities occupy just 3 percent of the Earth’s land, but account for most of the global energy consumption and carbon emissions. Many cities are also more vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters due to their population densities and interconnected infrastructure. ...
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