Urban growth, heat islands, humidity, climate change: the costs multiply in tropical cities

Journal Contribution ResearchOnline@JCU
Chaiechi, Taha;Tavares, Silvia
Abstract

Some 60% of the planet’s expected urban area by 2030 is yet to be built. This forecast highlights how rapidly the world’s people are becoming urban. Cities now occupy about 2% of the world’s land area, but are home to about 55% of the world’s people and generate more than 70% of global GDP, plus the associated greenhouse gas emissions. So what does this mean for people who live in the tropical zones, where 40% of the world’s population lives? On current trends, this figure will rise to 50% by 2050. With tropical economies growing some 20% faster than the rest of the world, the result is a swift expansion of tropical cities.

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The Conversation

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2201-5639

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8

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Conversation Media Group

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