Page - 22 - in options, Volume summer 2018

asia 22 regional focus www.iiasa.ac.atoptions ◼ summer 2018 Accommodating growth without increasing environmental pressure Further info Mochizuki J & Chang S (2017). Disasters as Opportunity for Change: Tsunami Recovery and Energy Transition in Japan. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 21: 331-339. [pure.iiasa.ac.at/14271] Junko Mochizuki mochizuk@iiasa.ac.at Rapid economic growth often comes at a steep price, with positive effects of change regularly being balanced out by negative environmental effects. In traditional growth models, greater growth has led to greater carbon emissions output, raising questions about construction practices and expansion in general. With new growth models however, adverse environmental effects do not necessarily have to be part of the equation. China’s Chongqing municipality has seen rapid economic growth in the last 20 years. Most impressive however, is the fact that they have managed to grow without increasing their emissions. In fact, they have even managed to reduce some of the more harmful emissions during this period. In a study published in the journal Ecological Indicators, IIASA researcher Wenji Zhou and his peers demonstrated substantial decoupling of environmental pressure from economic growth in Chongqing. Between 1999 and 2010, emissions of Sulphur dioxide, soot, and water waste showed zero growth. Over the same period, the growth rate of total energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, and solid waste remained relative to the population. These results were far above the national average, showing that responsible growth can be achieved. “The results of our study demonstrate the ability to accommodate rapid economic growth on a city level without contributing to carbon-based emissions,” explains Zhou, a researcher in the IIASA Energy Program. “We firmly believe that the case of Chongqing can serve as a model for other cities and policymakers around the world on how to grow a city without harming the environment.” JS Further info Yu Y, Zhou L, Zhou W, Ren H, Kharrazi A, Ma T, & Zhu B (2017). Decoupling environmental pressure from economic growth on city level: The Case Study of Chongqing in China. Ecological Indicators 75: 27-35. [pure.iiasa.ac.at/14202] Wenji Zhou wenji.zhou@iiasa.ac.at In 2011, an earthquake off the coast of Japan led to a tsunami that decimated the area of Tohoku. Even worse, the event triggered a nuclear disaster from which Japan is still recovering. As is the case in many disasters however, this event created a window of opportunity for positive social and environmental change. The potential for improvement in the wake of tragedy is known as “building back better”–a phrase that was popularized after the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. Most simply, it means that when faced with devastation, towns or countries have the opportunity to improve upon the social, civil, and environmental infrastructures that were previously in place. In a study published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Junko Mochizuki measured how the area of Tohoku responded to this tragedy. While many people assume that countries build back better after tragedies, very few studies quantify this change. The study found that 30 coastal communities affected by the disaster adopted photovoltaic solar power at a significantly higher rate than the rest of the country. “Very few studies have empirically investigated the complex dynamics of the post-disaster reconstruction process,” explains Mochizuki, a researcher in the Risk and Resilience Program at IIASA. “Our study sheds light on potential trade-offs between reducing risk and improving other aspects of community in post- disaster reconstruction. Our overall conclusion is that disaster may serve as an opportunity for positive community change when immediate impact is high enough, but not overwhelming.” JS Finding opportunities for change in disaster