Taking charge of the climate change battle
Landscape architects across the globe are being called on to lead efforts to conserve the world’s natural environment in the face of climate change.
The International Federation of Landscape Architects’ working group on climate change has developed a Global Accord committing its members to the principles of resilience, positive transformation and sustainability in their work
“It’s certain that the world’s climate is changing and that weather patterns have become more erratic and extreme,” the working group’s chair, Colleen Mercer Clarke, told IFLA members in a letter.
The climate change working group chair, Dr Colleen Mercer Clarke.
“It’s certain that communities and environments throughout the globe face clear and present danger resulting from the impacts associated from increasingly severe weather, and from rapidly shifting extremes in seasonal climate norms.”
She said landscape architects were in a unique position to push for improved resilience through advancements in public transport, enhancement of the urban canopy and expansion of green infrastructure.
“We can and must contribute to expanding visions for communities that are centres of well-being and prosperity, and for the protection and enhancement of protected spaces and supporting environments,” Mercer Clarke said. “Sustainability of ecosystems and societies is no longer an unachievable dream, it must be the shining goal for all decisions in planning and design.”
Entitled Global Accord: Adaptations for a Changing World, the agreement’s now been ratified by all five regions of the IFLA, and it’s World Council over the last few months.The IFLA is looking to improve general understanding of the pace of environmental change, and the ramifications of that change. It says healthy and sustainable environments increasingly rely on the protection, conservation and wise use of resources to ensure their survival for future generations.
“There are no rules,” Mercer Clarke says. “There are no preconceptions. We are seeking inspiring individuals who care enough to demonstrate innovation in their own sphere of influence, and want to share their approach with the world.”