Climate change and urban metabolism of Latin American Megacities

Authors

  • Gian Carlo Delgado Centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Ciencias y Humanidades, UNAM.
  • Cristina Campos Chávez Facultad de Ciencias Polí­ticas y Sociales - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
  • Patricia Renterí­a Juárez Facultad de Ciencias Políticas y Sociales - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Keywords:

Urban metabolism, Latin America, climate change

Abstract

Today's climate and environmental problems represent an increasing challenge for cities, especially for those that are experiencing a rapid urban expansion and population growth. It is proposed that current climate and environmental conditions are better understood from a metabolic assessment of inflows and outflows of energy and material. This type of evaluation has been carried out for different cities and for diverse metabolic aspects, but it has been mostly absent in Latin America. This article starts with a general presentation of the current state and challenges for Latin American cities. It then introduces the main aspects of urban metabolism analysis and offers an initial comprehensive comparative estimate of inflows and outflows of Latin American megacities: Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Some of the main characteristics of climate change plans are then discussed and a brief comparative analysis between mitigation actions and existing metabolic dynamics is presented. The paper concludes with some considerations and suggestions for the urban future and the plausible forthcoming challenges and opportunities.

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Author Biography

Gian Carlo Delgado, Centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Ciencias y Humanidades, UNAM.

Economista egresado de la UNAM con estudios de maestría y doctorado en Economía Ecológica y Gestión Ambiental por la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona, España. Es investigador titular, definitivo, de Centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Ciencias y Humanidades de la UNAM e integrante del Sistema Nacional de Investigadores del Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de México.

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Published

2012-06-30

How to Cite

Delgado, G. C., Campos Chávez, C., & Renterí­a Juárez, P. (2012). Climate change and urban metabolism of Latin American Megacities. Sustainable Habitat, 2(1), 2–25. Retrieved from https://revistas.ubiobio.cl/index.php/RHS/article/view/409

Issue

V.2, N.1 (2012): June

Section

Artículos

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