23.04.09 Bangkok emissions 'worse than London'
Source: Bangkok Post
Bangkok residents produce as much of the
greenhouse gas carbon dioxide as New Yorkers, and more than Londoners,
a UN-sponsored study has found.
The more carbon dioxide is released, the warmer the climate could
become, which could put the city at increased risk of natural
disasters, the study said.
The likely consequences for the city, already prone to flooding and
land subsidence, will be "severe", according to the Bangkok Assessment
Report on Climate Change 2009, released yesterday.
"Land subsidence, when combined with a rising sea level, could leave Bangkok under 50-100cm of water by 2025," the report said.
"Rising temperatures could also affect the flow of water in the Chao Phraya and Mae Klong rivers."
Both Bangkok and New York emitted 7.1 tonnes of CO2 a head in 2007, the report found.
Bangkok's emissions were higher than those of London's residents, who produced 5.9 tonnes a head.
The transport sector, responsible for almost 38% of CO2 released
annually, is the largest contributor, particularly passenger vehicles.
The report was produced by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration
and the Bangkok-based Green Leaf Foundation with support from the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Greenhouse gas emissions, such as CO2, are primary contributors of warming temperatures.
The report says a warmer climate in Bangkok could also lead to
increased heat-related diseases and the spread of diseases such as
dengue fever. The city must take action to reduce the impact of climate
change, said Park Young-Woo, regional director of the UNEP's regional
office for Asia and the Pacific.
Options for making Bangkok a "climate-proofing" city include
improving the public health infrastructure and disease surveillance and
prevention programmes, creating early warning systems for extreme
weather events, and implementing stricter zoning and building codes to
minimise damage from storms and rises in sea levels.
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