Chapter on Cities and Buildings - IPCC: Zaheer Allam Appointed Lead Author

Mauritius is in the spotlight. Dr. Zaheer Allam has joined the IPCC as the lead author for the chapter on cities and buildings, guiding global climate policies and urban resilience.

Dr. Zaheer Allam, a Mauritian urban planner and researcher, has been appointed as the lead author for Chapter 12 of the upcoming Assessment Report (AR7) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which focuses on cities and buildings. He shares this responsibility with six other experts globally, positioning Mauritius at the heart of international discussions on urbanization and climate resilience.

Affiliated with the University of Queensland in Australia, Dr. Zaheer Allam has published over 200 scientific articles and around fifteen books. His research focuses on urban planning, climate resilience, and energy transition. He also collaborates with international organizations such as UN-Habitat, UNESCO, and the European Union and serves on various global advisory panels.

The IPCC, a key scientific body on climate, produces reports used by governments and international organizations to inform their climate policies. The previous report inspired the UN Secretary-General to declare a "code red for humanity," leading to the establishment of new political frameworks and concrete actions. The upcoming report, to which Zaheer Allam is contributing, is also expected to be pivotal for the coming decade.

The chapter entrusted to Zaheer Allam focuses on cities and buildings, critical sectors in the fight against climate change. In a few decades, nearly 70% of the global population will live in urban areas. Cities not only concentrate population and economy but are also vulnerable to climate impacts such as rising sea levels, flooding, and urban heat. The chapter aims to analyze these issues and propose solutions to protect infrastructure, enhance resilience, and guide future urban development.

In the Global South, urbanization is progressing rapidly but often occurs in fragmented economic and social contexts. Urban growth is accompanied by significant challenges, including increasing inequalities and inadequate infrastructure. He argues that this situation nevertheless presents an opportunity to adopt new and bold strategies, allowing for a combination of innovation and the preservation of social and cultural fabric.

A Mauritian Perspective

Coming from a small island state, Zaheer Allam highlights that his experience provides a unique perspective. Mauritius, due to its size and limited resources, has to manage constrained spaces, adapt quickly to external shocks, and balance economic development with social and environmental sustainability. The island also has a historical experience of multicultural coexistence, which he considers an asset for thinking about urban resilience and public policies in fragile contexts.

For him, international climate policies should not remain abstract. In Mauritius, climate considerations must be integrated into all public and private decisions, whether related to housing, infrastructure, agriculture, or trade. The risks are numerous: rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, droughts, sudden flooding, threats to food security, and reliance on imports.

He emphasizes the importance of making resilience a foundational principle capable of guiding urban development and resource management in the coming decades. The mission of the IPCC and the contributions of experts like Zaheer Allam thus help translate scientific data into concrete recommendations for cities worldwide.