Cities and climate change
The session will tackle some of the different problems linked to human activities and climate change, such as the principal challenges concerning water resources, forests, agriculture, biodiversity, urban heat islands, city planning and transport. In addition, we will deal with changes in climate and the main risks posed by extreme meteorological phenomena: severe floods, heat waves, etc. Additionnally, and on behalf of Mayor of Nanterre M.Patrick Jarry, the training session will be followed by a technical on-site visit on ecological neighborhood in the City of Nanterre (4 km from Paris) on 17 December 2010.
Sessions include:
1. Case studies:
a. Greenhouse gases in Ile-de-France
b. Opportunities for climate change adaptation in Caracas
c. City of Pune in India
2. Biodiversity and climate change
3. Commitments of the international community
4. Negotiations on climate and the European Union
5. Alternative energy sources for the prevention of climate change: solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, biomass and biofuels
6. The role of territorial authorities in putting into place local policies and tools for the prevention and management of climate change
7. Examples of how both practical measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adaptive actions have been incorporated into urban planning documents
8. The impact of climate change in Venezuela
9. Climate plan for the region and factor 4
10. How to coordinate Agenda 21 and the regional climate plan
11. Discussion on:
a. Conditions for implementing local actions on energy and climate;
b. How best to coordinate these actions and integrate them with local planning tools (in the broad sense, including cooperation between actors and the participation of the population);
c. Variations in scale and theme;
d. How to capture and store carbon in order to reduce atmospheric levels;
e. What are the best ways to attain a low-carbon based economy?