AUC Professor Leads Global Academic Discussion on Climate and Urban Governance in Developing Countries

As developing countries face growing risks from climate change, new research papers co-edited by Professor Shahjahan Bhuiyan, associate professor and associate dean for administration, undergraduate studies and public outreach at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at The American University in Cairo (AUC) and Professor José Puppim de Oliveira from the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Brazil, highlight the need for governments to make sustainability a key part of how cities grow and are managed. Published as a special issue of the journal Urban Climate titled “Cities and Climate Change in Developing Countries,” the collection looks at how cities in low- and middle-income countries can become more environmentally friendly while still improving people’s daily lives and basic services.

“This issue reflects our passion for the topic,” Bhuiyan said. “The papers included in the issue, individually and collectively, improve our understanding of the diverse impacts of climate change and highlight the responses and solutions that cities have adopted to address these challenges.”

The special issue explores two main areas: understanding how climate change affects cities in different ways and examining the solutions cities are adopting to deal with those impacts. It shows that while developed countries need to reduce their high levels of consumption, developing nations must focus on connecting climate action to their broader development goals, such as providing clean water, better transportation and effective waste management.

Bhuiyan explained that cities must find solutions that match their stage of development. For many fast-growing cities in Africa and Asia, this means including climate-friendly ideas in their plans from the start rather than trying to add them later. He pointed to examples from across the continent: “A number of African cities - including Cairo - are undergoing rapid urbanization and are doing so with climate-based solutions in mind, such as urban agriculture and institutional reliance on sustainable energy.”

Bhuiyan’s work builds on insights from major international discussions such as the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27), hosted in Egypt, and the Symposium on Cities and Climate Change in Developing Countries, organized by GAPP School.

With nearly three decades of experience studying public administration, Bhuiyan focuses on how good governance can improve people’s lives and strengthen international cooperation. “Governments have an ethical duty to stop climate change,” he said. “And as researchers, we can help guide them.”