Conclusion Several authors recognize, and Baker (2012, p. 3) effectively argues, that policies intended to address climate vulnerability and “natural” hazards have links to many sectors and, therefore, “come with important synergies that are best captured through system wide approaches.” Likewise, comprehensive urban planning is critical to integrated approaches that address such vulnerability, but this “can often be challenging, given the many institutions involved in managing cities”. At this local level, urban planning and management involves, among other things, land-use control and public participation. With urban expansion occurring in marginal areas such as flood plains, water catchments and steep hillsides, land-use planning must institute measures to respond to new urban settlements (illegal or inadequate) and establish the necessary channels to institute a continuous dialogue with new settlers and the population that will potentially be affected by climate risks and natural hazards.17 The urban poor are on the front line, and more than 4.6 million individuals have been identified as poor (Figure 9.2). They are particularly vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards because of how and where they live (Figure 9.4) and because of the lack of reliable basic services in their immediate surroundings. As Baker notes (2012, p. 8), when a disaster hits, impacts can include the loss of basic services, damage to or destruction of homes, reduction in or loss of livelihoods, threats to food security and the rapid spread of malnutrition and water- and vector-borne diseases. Urban environmental conditions, as one of many interacting components, remain the responsibility of the city Government. In fact, as mentioned by Baker: . . . city governments are the drivers for addressing risks. Local governments play a vital role in providing basic services that are critical to improving the resilience of the urban poor. . . . City officials build resilience by mainstreaming risk reduction into urban management. Adapting to climate change and reducing disaster risk can be best addressed and sustained over time through integration with existing urban planning and management practices (p. 2). Significant financial support is needed, Baker observed (2012, p. 2), and in response to this need she insists that “local governments need to leverage existing and new resources to meet shortfalls in service delivery and basic infrastructure adaptation”. While urban areas are indeed exposed to the severe impacts of climate change, cities are best prepared to improve the adaptive capacity of the population and to implement adaptation policies and risk management strategies. However, the way in which Mexico City is evolving seems to restrain the capacity to coordinate the many actors and institutions involved in urban management (both public and private) or to strengthen local governments in order to enable them to control land-use changes. These are critical challenges to integrating approaches to address uncertainty, to responding and adapting to more intense and frequent climatic events and to determining where new urban expansion and development should be directed.
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