33
Therefore, directly and indirectly, the building sector globally and in Australia significantly impacts
upon biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, and suburban sprawl, especially in coastal areas, as
most of Australia’s cities and regional towns are located on the coast. For this same reason the built
environment in Australia is at high risk due to impacts of climate change.
3.3.2 Impacts of Climate Change on the Built Environment
The impacts of climate change upon the built environment are many and varied; these impacts are
both indirect and direct. The built environment in larger urban areas and cities in coastal areas are
particularly vulnerable in that they are immobile. Climate change poses serious threats to urban infrastructure, quality of life, and entire urban systems, especially settlements and cities that are located
next to the coast (Roös, 2019, p. 203; Hoornweg et al., 2010). In Europe, 70% of the largest cities have
areas that are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, and most of these cities are less than 10
metres above sea level. China alone has more than 78 million people living in vulnerable low-elevation settlements and cities; this number is increasing annually by 3% (McGranahan et al., 2005). In
Australia 86% of the population lives in coastal zones, which is not surprising as two thirds of the
continent is classified as arid. Up to 35% of buildings in the Australian coastal zone are at risk of
inundation while many items of significant community infrastructure are also situated in vulnerable
locations (DCC, 2009).
One very difficult issue, and one that is rarely mentioned in the literature, is the possibility that the
built environment in these low-lying areas will be abandoned due to relocation of people threatened
by inundation and flooding. This would represent one of the largest losses of value in land and infrastructure and the largest transfer of economic wealth in human history. This raises a daunting and
challenging question: what will happen with the buildings, infrastructure and debris left behind? This
is providing an enormous economic, as well as environmental challenge if the derelict built environment is left to its own devices. Tensions will grow as specific landowners and residents demand
increasingly expensive infrastructure construction while others push for less costly shifts in habitation
(Hoornweg et al., 2010). The complexity of solving future retreat and settlement establishment will
provide major challenges. This is especially so when considering that ecological systems and natural
environments are located next to settlements, and will be more so impacted by human activities. This
provides an opportunity to reconsider current contemporary planning and design methods for sustainable urban development, and acknowledge the need to design and plan with nature, recognising the
importance of ecological systems as an integral part of our species’ future on this planet.
3.4 Climate Change and Ecology
Climate change alone is not the most serious environmental issue facing cities and the built environment today. The bigger issues include biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems, escalating
nitrogen pollution exceeding planetary limits, and population growth in cities resulting increased
poverty (Hoornweg et al., 2010). However, climate change is a global issue, and the way our cities and
built environment use resources in the ecological systems is an inherent part of the anthropogenic
contribution to a global changing climate. The question we must ask ourselves is: How long will the
earth’s ecosystems still stay stable with such a large-scale climate change impact and resource depletion due to anthropogenic activities?
Rockström et al. (2009) identified the boundaries of resource use that can keep the earth’s systems
stable. In their ‘planetary boundaries’ model, three systems have already exceeded their stable state;
3.4 Climate Change and Ecology
Therefore, directly and indirectly, the building sector globally and in Australia significantly impacts
upon biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, and suburban sprawl, especially in coastal areas, as
most of Australia’s cities and regional towns are located on the coast. For this same reason the built
environment in Australia is at high risk due to impacts of climate change.
3.3.2 Impacts of Climate Change on the Built Environment
The impacts of climate change upon the built environment are many and varied; these impacts are
both indirect and direct. The built environment in larger urban areas and cities in coastal areas are
particularly vulnerable in that they are immobile. Climate change poses serious threats to urban infrastructure, quality of life, and entire urban systems, especially settlements and cities that are located
next to the coast (Roös, 2019, p. 203; Hoornweg et al., 2010). In Europe, 70% of the largest cities have
areas that are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, and most of these cities are less than 10
metres above sea level. China alone has more than 78 million people living in vulnerable low-elevation settlements and cities; this number is increasing annually by 3% (McGranahan et al., 2005). In
Australia 86% of the population lives in coastal zones, which is not surprising as two thirds of the
continent is classified as arid. Up to 35% of buildings in the Australian coastal zone are at risk of
inundation while many items of significant community infrastructure are also situated in vulnerable
locations (DCC, 2009).
One very difficult issue, and one that is rarely mentioned in the literature, is the possibility that the
built environment in these low-lying areas will be abandoned due to relocation of people threatened
by inundation and flooding. This would represent one of the largest losses of value in land and infrastructure and the largest transfer of economic wealth in human history. This raises a daunting and
challenging question: what will happen with the buildings, infrastructure and debris left behind? This
is providing an enormous economic, as well as environmental challenge if the derelict built environment is left to its own devices. Tensions will grow as specific landowners and residents demand
increasingly expensive infrastructure construction while others push for less costly shifts in habitation
(Hoornweg et al., 2010). The complexity of solving future retreat and settlement establishment will
provide major challenges. This is especially so when considering that ecological systems and natural
environments are located next to settlements, and will be more so impacted by human activities. This
provides an opportunity to reconsider current contemporary planning and design methods for sustainable urban development, and acknowledge the need to design and plan with nature, recognising the
importance of ecological systems as an integral part of our species’ future on this planet.
3.4 Climate Change and Ecology
Climate change alone is not the most serious environmental issue facing cities and the built environment today. The bigger issues include biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems, escalating
nitrogen pollution exceeding planetary limits, and population growth in cities resulting increased
poverty (Hoornweg et al., 2010). However, climate change is a global issue, and the way our cities and
built environment use resources in the ecological systems is an inherent part of the anthropogenic
contribution to a global changing climate. The question we must ask ourselves is: How long will the
earth’s ecosystems still stay stable with such a large-scale climate change impact and resource depletion due to anthropogenic activities?
Rockström et al. (2009) identified the boundaries of resource use that can keep the earth’s systems
stable. In their ‘planetary boundaries’ model, three systems have already exceeded their stable state;
3.4 Climate Change and Ecology