210 ■ CITIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(table 8.6). Th e necessity of additional knowledge to identify the challenges of
climate change therefore is highlighted in all national action plans. However,
fundamental gaps exist in many action plans because proven local or regional
climate scenarios are left out in all cases. Research action to close these gaps has
been proven to be quite diff erent. Cape Town and Singapore have engaged scien-
tifi c expertise to study long-term local eff ects of climate change. In Delhi, eff orts
to improve the understanding of local climate eff ects are driven by national-level
initiatives and involve both national and local research institutions. São Paulo
engages in a process to elicit local knowledge through a series of stakeholder
consultations with the assistance of the ICLEI and the Fundação Getulio Vargas,
a local foundation. Obviously all cases (including those that have not yet formu-
lated “formal” action plans) benefi t from the research institutions in place.
Th e eight cities pursue options for communicating relevant information and
creating awareness. Th e communication eff orts include general information on
climate change and the benefi ts of adaptation, increasing awareness about the
implications of consumption patterns, and communication about the impacts
of climate change–related events. Cape Town has taken the most extensive ini-
tiative in relation to its water demand management activities to gain collabora-
tion by the citizens. Th e city has engaged in another project, which modeled the
physical, biological, and social impacts arising from a “sea-level event” (inun-
dation) in the city. Th e dramatic results were publicized widely through local
media. Th e public response to the study has been vociferous on the one hand,
where interest groups such as land owners have objected to the report as alarm-
ist, and muted on the other hand, where the nonaff ected population regards the
scenarios as “someone else’s problem.” Looking across the eight cases, however,
the entire fi eld of communication, information, and awareness creation appears
somewhat neglected even in cities where the topic of climate change has been
picked up explicitly. More commonly, initiatives are developed in conjunction
with related projects instead of linked directly to a climate change agenda. In
Delhi, for example, the “Clean Yamuna” (river) water-harvesting and solar-
heating projects are being implemented essentially as awareness campaigns.
What measures are in place to ensure compliance and assessment? Singa-
pore has introduced such measures as the green mark standard for energy-
effi cient buildings and energy audits as well as encouraging households to
conserve energy, for example, through the 10 percent energy challenge to
encourage energy-effi cient habits. Th is involves mandatory energy labeling for
common household appliances to ensure that consumers can make effi cient,
well-informed choices when they decide on their purchases. Market-based
instruments are likewise being introduced. Th e installation of water meters
and sliding-scale water tariff s in Cape Town are two examples, complemented
by regulatory measures such as comprehensive water by-laws, including the