Paving the Way for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure - UN CC:Learn

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Chapter 6: Internalization of Climate Risks in the Context of Planning and Urban DevelopmentCase Study: Mexico CityThe construction and implementation of adaptation policies and strategies has not beeneasy for societies around the world, particularly for low-income and middle-incomecountries like El Salvador and Mexico. This case study on Mexico City brings together anumber of the issues mentioned above, and it illustrates the need to cope with currentand future developmental challenges in the context of climate change. It is also relevantdue to the similarities between Mexico City and San Salvador (geographical location,fast urban and population growth, the demand to expand and upgrade its urbaninfrastructure). The case study presents parts of the results of a broader study on thefuture of Mexico City in the context of climate change. This study concentrates solely onthe infrastructure needs of the city to address the impacts of climate change on water.Mexico City confronts two major challenges related to water. On the one hand, it hashistorically suffered floods that create serious problems for the operation of the cityand have severe social and economic consequences. On the other hand, this mega-cityis rapidly running out of resources to secure its water supply in the near future. Watershortages are already a major problem in parts of the city. These two problems can beaggravated by climate change. Recent simulations of climate change scenarios show anincrease in temperature and a decrease in the water availability during the dry season inthe three basins supplying water to the city. The decline in water availability is between10 to 17 percent in each of the basins. The results also show an increase in precipitationduring the rainy season.The city is facing important infrastructure-related decisions to address these twoproblems. Historically, the local authorities have addressed these two problems inisolation. The results of our study show that the problems are interrelated and shedlight on more integrated approaches to addressing water problems in Mexico City inthe context of climate change that may be useful to local authorities as they confrontthese issues.72Paving the Way for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Conference Proceedings
Chapter 6: Internalization of Climate Risks in the Context of Planning and Urban DevelopmentPART IIThe ProblemThe geographical location of Mexico City helps sheds light on its current water problems and its vulnerabilityto the impacts of climate change. The city was developed on the low part of a closed water basin inthe Valley of Mexico on top of five lakes, and it is prone to floods. Since colonial times, lakes were dried upas a solution to frequent floods. One of the five lakes remains but continues up until the 20th Century wasto subject to regular floods. In the 1950s, the federal government undertook a major infrastructure projectto solve the floods problems in Mexico City. The infrastructure system put in place combines hundreds ofkilometres of deep drains, pump stations, and water treatment plants.The infrastructure system came on line in the 1970s, and it was expected to be a permanent solution toflood problems. Part of the system is used to drain out sewage from Mexico City, reducing the capacityof the system to cope with the extreme precipitation. Deficient maintenance in the system during almosttwo decades further reduced the capacity of the system. An additional problem has been the subsidenceof the urban area that has reverted the slope in some of the major drains. The federal and local governmentshave invested millions of dollars solving some of the most critical and immediate problems in thestorm water system, but it is clear the city needs to find a long-term solution to this critical problem. It isworth noting that San Salvador also has flood problems and needs to find a long-term solution to avoidmajor economic and social consequences. Flood problems in the two cities are impacted by climate variability,and they could become aggravated by climate change.TechnicalPresentation 1What a Country ShouldThink About andThen Do to AddressClimate Change andInfrastructure RisksTechnicalPresentation 2Internalization ofClimate Risks in theContext of Planningand Urban DevelopmentTechnicalPresentation 3A Framework forRisk Assessmentand Risk-InformedDecision-Making forInfrastructureDevelopmentFigure 6.4: Pre-Columbian Mexico CityTechnicalPresentation 4Probabilistic RiskModeling: BasicPrinciples andApplicationsTechnicalPresentation 5Note: Aztecs adapted to the area as the city grew by building structures called chinapa that floated over the lake;(Right) Modern-day topography of Mexico CityAn Economic Frameworkfor Evaluating ClimateProofing Investmentson InfrastructureRecent studies document that urbanization has led to an increase in precipitation in Mexico City over thelast 100 years (see Figure 6.5). Particularly important is the significant increase in extreme daily precipitationduring the last decades. Other studies have shown the ‘heat island effect’ in Mexico City has led tomicroclimates within the urban area creating significant differences in the concentration of precipitation(see Figure 6.6). These research results are relevant to the design of infrastructure (storm water). Whilerainfall is concentrated in the east and south, the current drainage system design assumed an equal distributionof rain throughout the city.TechnicalPresentation 6Supporting ElSalvador to ReduceInfrastructure Riskswithin a Green, Low-Emission and Climate-Resilient Frameworkfor DevelopmentPaving the Way for Climate-Resilient Infrastructure: Conference Proceedings 73
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