(landscape architecture role in mitigating negative climate change)

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wider.unu.edu

UN Photo/Tim McKulka

2829 September 2012 Helsinki, Finland

Climate Change

& Development Policy

This is a paper submitted for presentation at UNU-WIDER conference on Climate Change and DevelopmentPolicy, held in Helsinki on 2829 September 2012. This is not a formal publication of UNU-WIDER and may reectwork-in-progress. If you wish to cite this, please request permission directly from the author(s).


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UNUWIDER Conference on

Climate Change and Development Policy

Helsinki, Finland, 2829 September 2012

White paper Title

Landscape Architecture Role in Mitigating Negative Climate Change Impacts Upon Urban Environment

by Islam Hamdi ElGhonaemy, PhD

Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Urban Design Department of Architecture, College of Fine Arts.

Alexandria University, Egypt [email protected]

2012


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Landscape Architecture Role in Mitigating Negative Climate Change Impacts Upon Urban Environment

1. Introduction

In a world of climate change, challenge in dealing with the resulted problems is facing developing countries, especially its impacts upon urban environment. Consequently, climate change is dramatically effects on urban, natural resources and people's livelihoods. During the past century, the Earth has warmed by approximately 0.7C. unless we take measures to address climate change, temperatures could rise even more rapidly, by between 1.4C and 5.8C, during the next 100 years. Poor people in developing countries are particularly exposed to the eff ects of climate change, not least because they often live and work in the very areas where natural disasters most often occur, such as flood plains, mountainsides and deltas. Also, it causes multiple threats to poor rural people, who often live in areas where climate change is increasing the risk and disasters. Therefore, many approaches were studied by expertise to find out the prober tools that could be used to utilize residents' life quality and comfort in poor countries in general and MENA cities in particular.

Climate change is being one of the most global important dilemmas. It is one of the initiative has been globally ratified at the highest political levels in the United Nations Millennium Declaration on the basis that it is one of the foreseeable challenges with specific goals and actions to improve the lives of economically, environmentally and socially marginalized populations in urban areas etc. A great awareness in the developed countries with the problems may result is presented. Many practical steps had been taken to join efforts between nations and cooperate to face the resulted phenomena due to Climate Change such as global, warming, sea level rise, desertification, etc. For instance it was settled that there is strong positive relation between urban density and greenhouse gas emissions. 1 While "David Dodman 2009, stated that "The relationship between urban density and vulnerability: an adaptation agenda".

Respecting the vision that we live in small world, whenever a region has an environmental problem such as climatic changes and its resulted problems; it never affects that region alone but extend to affect the neighbor regions as well. Regrettably, In Middle East and North Africa countries (MENA cities) the climate changes impacts is dramatically increasing due to the absence of the integration between each other to manage and control such problems. In spite of the importance of Landscape Architecture roles in national developing plans to face the impact of the climatic changes problems, many countries have yet primitively to mainstream climate change problems.

1.1. Diagnosis of the problem:

While the changing in political systems and the spreading of the vision of "spring of liberty",

many disorganized and unplanned orders and progress in such countries that ignoring environmental consideration in general and climatic change in particular occurred.

Therefore haphazard and scattered actions with no scientific base had been done just to satisfy the community opinion and protesters that not serving the developing process. Consequently, it is expecting to be many environmental problems due to these unplanned actions.

In addition to, the miss integration between MENA cities national developments plans and the conflict of Urban Planning Policy and its Strategies in MENA Cities Urban Developing and the resulted miss design of Landscape Architecture work produces adverse impacts, in general, to the environment and in particular to the cities urban areas applying the followings:

i. City Urban condition ii. standard of living iii. quality of life


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1.2. Significance of the study:

The Significance of the studying Landscape Architecture Role in Mitigating Negative Climate Change is to explore a unique vision to control the adverse impacts of the climate changes upon human life and urban quality.

1.3.

Motivation of

selecting

Landscape

architecture

effects

in

facing

Climatic

changes

impacts:

So, aims to show how Landscape Architecture science in urban environment can help address problems facing humanity due to Climate change, we have to understand the focus and field of Landscape architecture work. It would be achieved through creating knowledge and understanding on a complex area of interrelationships between human actions and environment under the umbrella of Landscape Architecture and defining specific solutions that can address the problem if applied on an urban large scale

1.4. Study Idea

A global vision to deal with Landscape Architecture role whenever we deal with Climatic changes impacts. Comprehensive policy should deal with these impacts. MENA cities have limited

technical resources and vision, especially with the dramatic political changes. Comprehensive policy that consider MENA cities resources and problems have to be sit, which need technical studies and expertise team work as well. This policy has to consider three main targets to be improved

1.5. Aim of the study

The aim of the study is to present guide lines the role of Landscape Architecture in reducing the adverse impacts of climatic changes upon city urban life. This aim could be achieved by implementing regional policy that unique the efforts of MENA cities using Landscape Architecture elements.

Creating regional policy with emphasis of strategies following by action plans in pilot projects will explore the Landscape Architecture significant in controlling the impact of climatic changes impacts. Formatting Landscape Architecture Chapter in MENA cities can take the responsibility in managing MENA cities efforts and prepare homogeneous policy between them targeting city that can manage the efforts of in Mitigating Negative Climate Change Impacts Upon Urban Environment

2. Climate change is a sustainable development issue: 2.1. A sustainable city, and eco - city

A sustainable city, or eco -city is a city designed with consideration of environmental impact,

inhabited by

people

dedicated

to

minimization

of

required

inputs

of

energy,

water

and

food,

and

waste output of heat, air pollution -CO2, methane, and water pollution . Richard Register first coined the term " eco -city " in his 1987 book, Eco-city Berkeley : building cities for a healthy future .2 Another leading figure who envisioned the sustainable city is architect Paul F . Downton, who later founded the company Ecopolis Pty Ltd . The field of industrial ecology is sometimes used in planning these cities .

A sustainable city can feed itself with minimal reliance on the surrounding countryside, and power itself with renewable sources of energy . The crux of this is to create the smallest possible ecological footprint, and to produce the lowest quantity of pollution possible, to efficiently use land; compost used materials, recycle it or convert waste - to -energy, and thus the city's overall contribution to climate change will be minimal, if such practices are adhered to .

It is estimated that around 50 % of the worlds population now lives in cities and urban areas .


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These large communities provide both challenges and opportunities for environmentally conscious developers . In order to make them more sustainable, building design and practice, as well as perception and lifestyle must adopt sustainability thinking .3

2.2. Climate change and dangerous threats

In general,

Climate

change

is

one

of

the

most

dangerous

threats

ever

faced

by

humankind.

Fuelled by two powerful human induced forces that have been unleashed by development and manipulation of the environment in the industrial age, the effects of urbanization and climate change are converging in ways which threaten to have unprecedented negative impacts on urban quality of life, and economic and social stability (unhabitat, Global Report on Human Settlements 2011).

In particular, most of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) cities are located in vulnerable countries specially with the local and narrow vision of decision makers and policy designers. Therefore, indicators of the relation between Climate changes and Landscape Architecture role upon sustainable development can be informative for climate change and in other hand clarify the image in prober way.

Consequently, many warning signs from the academic side and many alarms raised in many specific conferences and symposiums but never less shortage of practical steps to face such resulted problems from the climatic change. On the other hand, in Middle East and North Africa countries (MENA), authorities' actions that had been taken to deal with the phenomena of climatic change and to can manage and to control the resulted problems are still fragile and not efficient. Even the shay proceedings to develop practical policy are not enough to realize on in dealing with the resulted urban and rural problems.

2.3. Climate change subject is a sustainable development

Furthermore, It should be considered that Climate change subject is a sustainable development issue, not just an environmental concern, that:

i. Climate change threatens to erase progress made in achieving sustainable development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.

ii. Greenhouse gas emissions depend on economic and technological pathways. iii. Current emissions impact on the living conditions of future generations. iv. Poor and vulnerable countries are expected to face the greatest burden of climate

change, while having contributed the least to the problem.

Actions toward dealing with climatic changes impacts within city urban areas or rural region as well should have unique vision in MENA cities. For instance, In Egypt, authority creates action levels to manage City problems, which were varying between the general master plan till and the governmental on the following levels: i. Regional level, Through the regional plan of the region. ii. Governmental level, Through general report for governorate planning.

Urban development plan for the Governorate. In addition to the local governmental legislation. The development report.

iii. local level Through the general master plan for cities such.4

3. Climate change and MENA cities

Unfortunately, Climate Change shade Middle East and North Africa (MENA) cities with serious direct and indirect environmental problem. These problems are not limited to urban areas but extended to the rural areas as well. Urban and rural problems outcomes marginalized populations in urban areas in the form of desertification, sea level rise, forming slum areas,


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size, characteristics and shape. The different sizes and shapes of cities imply different geographical advantages (Batty 2008). It should be noted that density is one key issue. The relation between Urban Density and Greenhouse Gas Emissions depends on the following factors:

i. The relative contribution of cities

ii. Patterns of mobility iii. Housing densities and energy consumption. 5

3.4. Climate change and urbanization in MENA cities:

In MINA areas, most of the cities are characterized by high density and crowded. Attention from MENA cities towards Climate Change and its linkages between urbanization and climate change are positively developed. Illustrate the significant contribution of Landscape Architecture within urban areas due to climate change is one of the important item in sharing the public participation to the problem, while at the same time highlighting the potentially devastating effects of climate change on urban populations' environment. It reviews policy responses, strategies and practices

that are

emerging

in

urban

areas

to

mitigate

and

adapt

to

climate

change,

as

well

as

their

potential achievements and constraints.

Figure 1. Alexandria, costal city suffer from climatic changes impacts.

In urbanization process, the primary task of municipal leaders is to care for their own citizens, as entity concern. Climate change is affecting municipal policy because it is public institutions who decide on land use planning, adopting construction codes, Building design and are responsible for the investments in general and prevention measures. Therefore, decision makers will need to become as informed as possible about climate change impacts.

However, successful responses to the challenges of climate change will require change in how urban areas operate. Such response also requests enhancement of coordination between local governments, civil society, community and private sector stakeholders, while at the same time building new connection between central power structures and marginalized segments of urban populations.

Table 1, shows the major Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas: (Changes in Means) Change Urban impacts Health impacts i. Temperature Increased energy demand for

heating / cooling; worsening of air quality

Increased vulnerability to /respiratory; diseases young and elderly particularly at risk

ii. Precipitation Increased risk of flooding; increased risk of landslides; distress migration

Increase water borne and water washed diseases; food shortages and malnutrition

iii. Sealevel rise Coastal flooding; Stalinization of water sources

Loss of land and property; health problems from salinated water (especially children)


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Figure 2. Major Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas (Changes in Means)

While table 2, shows the major Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas: (Changes in Extremes) Change Urban impacts Health impacts i. Extreme

rainfall / tropical cyclones

More intense flooding; higher risk of landslides; disruption to livelihoods and city economies

Higher levels of mortality and morbidity; loss of income and assets

ii. Drought Water shortages; higher food prices; disruption of hydro electricity

Higher prevalence of water water borne and water washed diseases; food shortages

iii. Heat or cold waves

Short term changes in energy demand

Mortality from extreme heat or cold

iv. Abrupt climate change

Rapid and extreme sea level rise / mortality extreme temperature change

Significant effects on morbidity and mortality (especially in most vulnerable groups)

Figure 3. Major Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas: (Changes in Extremes)

Further table 3, shows the major Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas: (Changes in Exposure) Change Urban impacts Health impacts i. Population

movements Movements from stressed rural habitats

Increased population increased stress on infrastructure and resources

ii. Biological changes

Extended vector habitats Increased risk of diseases such as malaria and dengue

Figure 4. Major Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas: (Changes in Exposure)

3.5. Team work for monitoring Climate change effects:


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The negative results from climate change must be monitored in order to control the resulting hazards, the economic and environmental disaster and its impacts on both the urban and rural areas. Due to this significance, national, international, local authorities and others are involved in studying the impacts of the climate change phenomena such as:

i. Ministries (such as Agriculture Ministry of development, new communities, housing and

public utilities). ii. General organization for housing, building and planning research. iii. Governorate and the local authorities within cities. iv. Non governmental societies and the local public congress. v. General authority of urban planning, structural master plans of cities. vi. Academic faculties, institutes and University.

4. Landscape architecture role in climate change mitigation

Argues that Landscape Architecture in urban areas have a pivotal role in climate change mitigation adaptation and identifies strategies and approaches for strengthening this role.

Landscape architecture

has

significant

roles

in

dealing

with

climatic

changes

impacts

within

city

urban areas or rural areas as well.

4.1. What is the "Landscape architecture"?:

Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor public areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, socialbehavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions that will produce the desired outcome. The scope of the profession includes: urban design; site planning; storm water management; town or urban planning; environmental restoration; parks and recreation planning; visual resource management; green infrastructure planning and provision; and private estate and residence landscape master planning and design; all at varying scales of design, planning and management. A practitioner in the profession of landscape architecture is called a landscape architect. It should be noted that Landscape architect use their knowledge of landscape processes to advise on the long term care and development of the landscape. They often work in forestry, nature conservation and agriculture.

4.2. Landscape architect as scientists

Landscape architects as scientists have specialist skills such as soil science, hydrology, geomorphology or botany that they relate to the practical problems of landscape work. Their projects can range from site surveys to the ecological assessment of broad areas for planning or management purposes. They may also report on the impact of development or the importance of particular species in a given area.

Figure 5. Landscape profession projects ranges

For different level, Landscape planners are concerned with landscape planning for the location, scenic, ecological and recreational aspects of urban, rural and coastal land use. Their work is

embodied in

written

statements

of

policy

and

strategy,

and

their

remit

includes

master

planning

for new developments, landscape evaluations and assessments, and preparing countryside


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management or policy plans. Some may also apply an additional specialism such as landscape archaeology or law to the process of landscape planning. 6

4.3. Landscape architecture is a multi disciplinary field

Landscape architecture is a multidisciplinary field, incorporating aspects of:

Geography, & ecology environmental psychology, horticulture, industrial design, geology & the earth sciences, the fine arts, botany, architecture,

The activities of a landscape architect can range from the creation of public parks and parkways to site planning for campuses and corporate office parks, from the design of residential estates to the design of civil infrastructure and the management of large wilderness areas or reclamation of degraded landscapes such as mines or landfills.

Landscape architects work on all types of structures and external space large or small, urban, suburban and rural, and with "hard" (built) and "soft" (planted) materials, while integrating ecological sustainability. The most valuable contribution can be made at the first stage of a

project to generate ideas with technical understanding and creative flair for the design, organization, and use of spaces. The landscape architect can conceive the overall concept and prepare the master plan, from which detailed design drawings and technical specifications are prepared.

They can also review proposals to authorize and supervise contracts for the construction work. Other skills include preparing design impact assessments, conducting environmental assessments and audits, and serving as an expert witness at inquiries on land use issues. They can also support and prepare applications for capital and revenue funding grants. 7

Figure 6. Landscape architecture is a multidisciplinary field

4.4. Major landscape architecture Fields of activity

The variety of the professional tasks that landscape architects collaborate on is very broad, but some examples of project types include:

a. The planning, form, scale and sitting of new developments b. Civil design and public infrastructure c. Sustainable development d. Storm water management including rain gardens, green roofs, groundwater recharge, and

treatment wetlands e. Campus and site design for public institutions and government facilities f. Parks, botanical gardens, arboretums, greenways, and nature preserves g. Recreation facilities; i.e.: playgrounds, golf courses, theme parks and sports facilities h. Housing areas, industrial parks and commercial developments i. Estate and residence landscape master planning and design j. Highways, transportation structures, bridges, and transit corridors

k. Urban design, town and city squares, waterfronts, pedestrian schemes, and parking lots l. Large to small urban renewal planning and design


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m. Natural park, tourist destination, and recreating historical landscapes, and historic garden appraisal and conservation studies

n. Reservoirs, dams, power stations, reclamation of extractive industry applications or major industrial projects and mitigation

o. Environmental assessment and landscape assessment, planning advice and land

management proposals. p. Coastal and offshore developments and mitigation q. Ecological Design any aspect of design that minimizes environmentally destructive impacts by

integrating itself with natural processes and sustainability. 8

Figure 7. Major landscape architecture Fields of activity

4.5. Problem of Designing public space in MINA cities:

Neglecting the role of Landscape Architecture in design public spaces affects climate change results. Landscape Architecture elements in both Softscape species (shrubs, trees, ground cover, ) and hardscape materials (type of tiles, smart material, light structure, ), are playing significant factor in increased city urban and rural problems in many forms such as:

i.

Increasing city

temperatures

ii.

rising

seas

level

iii. increased incidence of severe storms iv. forming slum areas v. deterioration of living standard vi. Deterioration of quality of live.

vii. decline quality of lives economically, environmentally and socially

viii. desertification

In some states, provinces, municipalities, and jurisdictions, such as Ontario, Canada and Santa Barbara, California, all designs for public space must be reviewed and approved by licensed landscape architects.

Unfortunately in MINA cities design public spaces in major projects always come within urban design projects as complementary stage, so no clear approval is required in such landscape architecture work in such urban and planning projects. Therefore, negative impacts always occurred. Consequently, the proposed designs become below standard and always follow no sound base of environmental issues in its design and neglect botany, horticulture, industrial design, geology and the earth sciences, environmental psychology, geography, and ecology. 9

4.5.1. Garbage City . or What?

It is question that always came to surface, but No, it is not just trash talk or slang for some city slum this place really is known as Garbage City with good reason; its denizens live in a surreal urban landscape with waste stuffed in every spare corner, stacked on the sidewalks and surrounding every structure More amazing than the trash - strewn architecture and garbage -stuffed city streets is the strange fact that this place is fully occupied and abuzz with activity. People live, work, eat and sleep within this object graveyard outside the city center. Spaces not occupied by people are given over to livestock (fed with trash scraps) & guerrilla urban gardens .


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For instance, Manshiyat Naser (Cairo, Egypt) , this district has shops and apartments like any other, but its residents earn their keep by specializing in collecting, sorting and recycling specific types of trashed materials . A group of children can be found sifting for plastic bottles while an organized team of women scours the remnants for cans or glass . Other items are burned locally as fuel. While it might not meet any health standards on Earth, the unique urban phenomenon is

arguably sustainable in a certain sense even green in a some ways . Working in the area does provide some basic necessities for its inhabitants, though water, sewage and (perhaps ironically) even official garbage collection services are not available to those living within its trash -cluttered walls.10

Figure 8. Manshiyat Naser (Cairo, Egypt) miss use of roofs to be garbage roof Captured above by photographer Bas Princen (2006) .

4.5.2. Urban heat Island :

The urban heat island is the overheating of urban and suburban areas, relative to the surrounding countryside, due to increased paved, built-over, and hard surface areas . Average summer temperatures in major cities have been on the rise over the past decade . These artificially high

summer temperatures

have

a

range

of

direct

and

indirect

negative

impacts

on

our

quality

of

life

.

The urban heat island effect increases the use of more electricity for air conditioners and it increases the rate at which chemical processes generate pollutants such as ground level ozone . It also exacerbates heat -related illnesses .

At Belem, Para state, Brazil Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya Suburban slum in Cairo Figure 9. overheating in Urban heat Island in urban and suburban areas

4.5.3. Urban and visual pollution :

Visual pollution is created due to the ignoring maintenance and cleaning urban open spaces, sub urban and vacant areas, and buildings roofs. For instance, in many residential buildings, owners spend budget towards building process concerning faade design, plans and some interior motives with paying no attention to roof design, therefore, it might be used as storage for buildings expired parts. Many unnecessary issues from expired houses furniture or equipment always left for years leading to visual pollution and ugly top view from high rise buildings


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Figure 10. Top View, visual pollution or beatification issues .

4.5.4. Environmental pollution :

Due to the miss use of urban spaces and housing roofs and in other words sort of ignoring maintenance, insects, mouse, etc are finding this miss urban areas and housing roofs suitable place for living and increasing causing many types of health and environmental problems

4.5.5. Urban Hazards

The presence of city urban problems and different pollution types (garbage, noise, toxic heavy metals, ) and the unneeded and unnecessary issues from expired houses furniture or equipment's always left.

4.6. Landscape architecture branches:

Landscape architecture branches focus on basic infrastructures, including the following topics :

i. Land markets in urban areas : one of the main causes for the proliferation of slums is lack of planning and clarity in many countries around the land market, forcing the urban poor to settle in marginal, unwanted and dangerous areas, or to encroach on the land owned by the

public and private sectors or to become victims of informal land markets after the failure of formal markets. Generally, there are some proposals to address these complex issues in the area of urban land:

Preparation of a national or local strategy to organize land use and its landscape architecture in the existing slums on a fait accompli basis and to devise an equation to absorb them in the urban fabric with a minimum disruptions and cost.

Based on the calculated increase in urban population, in addition to the expected migration from rural areas, a future plan can be developed to meet the needs for land in the new cities and settlements using landscape architecture principals, providing them with basic services, to replace the current control policies and mechanisms. This method

of legislation should limit the encroachment on government and private lands. ii. Roads and movement : the existing road system in the poor planned areas can be

rehabilitated, but in slum areas, where there is no system of roads, an innovative and careful re planning solution can be adopted, to allow, at least, vehicles to access to specific points in the various slums, and then people can reach their homes on foot .

iii. Water systems : new networks can be provided or the existing ones can be improved inside re planned slum, taking into account water resources, funding, treatment, supply, maintenance and prices etc...

iv. Sanitation and waste collection: It is not expected to have a system for sanitation in poor areas, so the idea is to try to apply a socially, economically and environmentally workable system. This proposal may vary from one city to another and from one country to another. With regard to waste collection, it is clear that the same system used in the main city can be used.


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Landscape architecture shares the responsibility in sustainable development. Some items sets are a useful point of departure for the derivation of climate change indicators. i. Recognizes the important linkages between climate change and other sustainable

development issues, e.g. Reducing emissions from combustion of (imported) fossil fuels can increase energy

security. Improved disaster risk management helps to address not only climate related events (droughts, floods,), but also non climate related ones (earthquakes, volcanoes)

ii. Preserving forests to maintain natural capital and to sustain livelihoods also increases carbon absorption

Consequently, landscape architecture play the national sets of sustainable development as basis for global climate change, therefore other processes should be integrated as follows: i. International processes under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCCC): Negotiations related to measurable, reportable and verifiable commitments and

actions on mitigation, financing, technology and capacity building Performance indicators on technology transfer Reduced emissions form deforestation and forest degradation

ii. National climate strategies and action plans iii. Progress on System of Environmental Economic Accounting iv. Climate change related work on CSD indicators. 15

6. Recommendations:

It is small words. Climatic changes negative impacts are not limited or affect one country rather than other. Therefore a global vision to deal with these impacts should be basic whenever we deal with Climatic changes. Indeed, with the era of communications, Comprehensive policy

should deal with these impacts. MENA cities have limited technical resources and vision, especially with the dramatic political changes.

Landscape Architecture chapter can play important act in reducing the adverse impacts of climatic changes upon city urban life, which could be achieved by implementing regional policy that integrate the efforts of MENA cities using Landscape Architecture elements.

Landscape Architecture chapter main task will emphasis upon creating regional policy with emphasis of strategies following by action plans in pilot projects. These efforts will explore the Landscape Architecture significant in controlling the impact of climatic changes.

Formatting the proposed Landscape Architecture Chapter in MENA cities can take the responsibility in managing MENA cities efforts and prepare homogeneous policy between them targeting city that can manage the efforts of in Mitigating Negative Climate Change Impacts upon Urban Environment

Indeed, Landscape Architecture chapter responsibility in proposing comprehensive policy that consider MENA cities resources and problems have to be sit, which technical studies and expertise team work are needed as well. This policy has to consider three main targets to be improved, which are: urban condition , quality of life, and standard of living

As mentioned within research context, landscape architecture branch mainly deal with major human and city urban aspects. Its emphasis spread along in cities urban parts and extends to include suburban and rural areas as well. The prober landscape designs that are following suitable intend aspects and using appropriate Softscape species (minimizing water consumption), and hardscape materials (friendly environmental material, eco materials,


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economically vision as well) are playing important factor in enhancing the environment, especially whenever we deal with Climatic changes impactssubject.

Therefore, Landscape Architecture chapter characteristics will be as follows:

i. Landscape Architecture chapter scope will deal with Climatic Changes subject is

recommended to be formatted and created. Pilot study should be talked first using the existing facilities of urban observatory. Coming from the pilot study results, that Landscape Architecture chapter should be developed respecting Climatic Changes issues and indicators. This chapter is recommended to consist of Landscape multi disciplinary expertise team work. This chapter focuses upon concerning and understanding Landscape Architecture task and importance. Consequently, Main mission of this chapter is to provide leadership and to be an authoritative source of expertise within the vision of dealing Climatic changes and understanding United Nations system on sustainable development.

ii. The main objectives of this chapter are not limited to deal with Climatic changes only rather than develop population with access to quality health services. In addition to conduct normative work, analytical work and technical cooperation. Role of official statistics in

national indicator should be set guided with UN system. 16 That indicators conduct the current circumstances should be listed, analyzed and studied carefully by the chapter committee members.

iii. Consequently, the expecting results are Guide lines that should be given to local authority. Transfer the information and the advices are essential for local authorities to help them watching out and considering within its developing plans to face, or avoid and control the negative impacts of Climatic changes issues.

iv. Landscape Architecture Chapter Members of team Participants: Officials in municipalities Local decision makers in Middle East and North Africa Leaders in Landscape Architecture and urban communities Local Landscape Architecture professionals Other partners International and regional experts specialized in socio economic and environmental

issues especially in Climatic changes issues. International organizations working in the area of climatic changes and environmental

upgrading, such as the World Bank, Cities Alliance, AUDI, organizations etc.. MENA Cities that are interest in the topics of the Landscape Architecture.

v. Major Landscape Architecture chapter scope and interests are directed to climatic change problems for example;

Interested in sustainability, eco city, green building. Interest in the Green build which is Social Equity to support the social equity objectives. 17 Landscape architecture subjects such as Green roof (extensive and intensive) Benefit of storm water management, evapo transpirative cooling, sustainable

architecture, aesthetics, and habitat creation.

vi. Objectives of the Landscape Architecture chapter is not limited, but it will start by:

a. to train municipalities officials and local professionals in the nature and size of the climatic change impacts and upgrading process of Landscape Architecture in enhancing urban quality and upgrading slum areas, with respect to the following topics: Understanding the problems and identifying the appropriate policies

Implementation application of strategies and actions. Local administration support community efforts


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Integration into the existing urban infrastructure Listing the urban quality and upgrading priorities, depending on the immediate needs

of partners and the availability of funding. Stages and potential levels of community participation. Role of specialists and professionals in the actual application. Identifying partners needs, expectations and services, especially those of the most

vulnerable groups. Basic guidelines on who to deal with the historical areas. Developing a development strategy in conjunction with all sectors, containing

economic, social and physical features. b. Establish guidelines and detailed steps in different stages that should be followed in the

process of MENA cities upgrading since its inception, policies development to implementation.

c. Preparation of comprehensible planning for facing the adverse impacts of climatic changes and regulations for construction as well, to enhance successful implementation on the ground .

d. Propose legislation aimed to develop urban and rural areas as well, to enable municipalities and local administrators to do their daily work and deal with emerging issues.

e. Preparing the costs of various phases of the project's based on the previously approved list of priorities.

f. Preparing a comprehensive action plan, based on the projects which were approved, containing clear financial estimates for each work and contribution of each partner, such as: local government, business community, NGOs, central government, international lenders etc.. In short, what is the role of each partner, including the contribution and participation of urban and rural dwellers?

vii. The expected impact:

Increasing the public awareness of the climatic change subjects such as: nature, impacts and importance of climatic change impacts, urban spaces and rural areas upgrading and improvement projects and their social and economic impact on residents, local population, municipalities, and local and national businesses in general..

viii. Expected results: a. Public participation will be positive factor in implementing such policy and its strategies and

action projects. b. The preparatory guidelines and steps to be followed prior to climatic change effects and the

implementation of any urban upgrading project. c. Planning and construction regulations that govern any future urban spaces upgrading

project respecting controlling climatic change issues d. Administrative legislations that enable municipalities and local administrations to address

climatic change impacts in general, and in particular, resettlement, compensation of the displaced population issues, controlling the new urban changes, etc.

e. Experience of various cities in funding and upgrading projects, in the region and extended to the attached regions respecting the vision of: "climatic change impacts are not limited in one region but it affects and affected by the surrounding environment".

f. Improving the management capacity within the local authority and civil society, to carry out and manage local development.

7. References and readings:

1 David Dodman, (2009), Urban Density and Climate Change, An Agenda for Mitigation and Adaptation,


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Expert Group Meeting on Population Dynamics and Climate Change, London, June 25 2009, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

2 Register, Richard, (1987), Eco_city Berkeley :building cities for a healthy future . North Atlantic Books 3 https //: www .cia.gov /library/publications /the -world -

factbook /fields/2212.html?countryName = World&countryCode = xx&regionCode= ocx 4 ElGhonaimy, Islam, (2000), Environmental Assessment of Residential Urban Areas , Thesis title : Monitoring

the changes of Urban Expansion and Land use Pattern and its Impacts upon Residential Areas, PhD thesis, submitted to Architectural Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Mansoura University.

5 David Dodman, (2009), Urban Density.., (IIED) 6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landscape_architecture#cite_ref 0 7 ElGhonaimy, Islam (2010), Design Criteria for Open Spaces of Residential Zones in Universities Campuses,

Case study : University of Dammam Campus, K. S. A, Journal of Menofia University, Engineering Sector, volume 33, number 2April 2010, Egypt

8 www.asla.org/design 9 ElDardiry, Dalia, (2010), impact of environmental conditions on lowcost housing in new towns in Egypt, the

case study of Burg El Arab City, Journal of Menofia University, Engineering Sector, volume 33, number

2April 2010, Egypt 10 ElGhonaimy, Islam, (2011), Efficiency and Magnificence of Roof Garden Achieving HighPerformance

Sustainable and Green Buildings in Arab Regions, 10TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR ENHANCED BUILDING OPERATIONS (ICEBO 2010), ENERGY EFFICIENCY APPLICATIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, Building & Energy Technologies Department Environment and Urban Development Division, Kuwait Institute for Scienti c Research, OCTOBER 26 28, 2010, Main theme :Highperformance sustainable and green buildings, KUWAIT

11 Behrens -Abouseif, Doris, (1992), Islamic Architecture in Cairo, Brill Publishers, p . 6, ISBN 90 04 09626 4 12ElGhonaimy, Islam, (2011), Paradigm of Landscape Architecture Realizing the Sustainability in Recreational

Urban Areas, Journal of AlAzhar University Engineering Sector, under publishing, September 2011, Egypt, 13 ElGhonaimy, Islam, (1994),Eenvironmental studies in residential Urban areas , unpublished M.Sc, of

" environmental studies". Section of " Environmental Management and Economic" , Department of

Environmental Studies, Institute of Graduate Studies and Research, Alexandria University. 14 ElGhonaimy, Islam, (2010), "Landscape architecture approach for sustainability in Arab Countries " conference organized by League of Arab States, Housing & Building National Research Center Cairo, {2326}/12/2010

15 Meeting held in New York in October 2008, see: http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/15Oct_2008/egm.htm

16 Matthias Bruckner, (2008), Climate Change and Indicators of Sustainable Development , Division for Sustainable Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, Conference on Climate Change, Development and Offi cial Statistics, Seoul, 1112 December 2008

17 http://www.usgbc ncc.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=713&Itemid=370

(landscape architecture role in mitigating negative climate change)

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