NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON MAJOR ECONOMIC Organised by Akademi Sains Malaysia and NAHRIM on 25 July 2011 /
SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PLANNING IN A CHANGING CLIMATE Dr. Dahlia Rosly and Nor Zaliza Puzi Research and Development Division Federal Department of Town and Country Planning, Peninsular Malaysia Abstract The consequences of a changing climate warrant adaptation as to how we plan and manage our land use. Realizing the close relationship between „green‟ land use planning and climate change management, the Malaysian Government has strategically provided support for climate change adaptation through coordination across both geographic and policy boundaries. This paper highlights sustainable land use planning approaches and efforts in making cities more resilient to changes in climatic conditions by integrating climate change adaptation into the planning policies framework, specifically within the framework of the National Physical Plan and the National Urbanization Policy. It further describes associated aspects in managing „green‟ and „blue‟ spaces including planning in coastal and other environmentally sensitive areas with some insights into Disaster Risk Reduction. In making cities sustainable and resilient, land use planning while taking energy efficiency and renewable energy into consideration, also addresses water management and local food production. A low carbon lifestyle would also support smart-growth principles focusing on green transportation and walkability designed within transit-oriented and mixed-use development. These initiatives would be binded by community engagement and a green communities‟ network supported by Local Authorities‟ initiatives in promoting sustainable land use planning, with green neighbourhoods as a basic module. Keywords: sustainable development, land use planning policies, climate change, green neighbourhoods, disaster risk reduction
INTRODUCTION In an age of pervasive global warming, propulsive population growth, increasing resource constraint and adverse climatic impacts, land use planning must adapt and innovate more proactively than ever before, more so with the world becoming increasingly urbanized whereby cities contribute more than two thirds of global green house gas emissions while occupying a mere 2% of the world‟s land mass. United Nation‟s figures show that by 2030, the proportion of the total population living in urban areas in developing countries will be more than 60 percent.
1