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accordance with these facts, the study aims to evaluate the bidirectional
reason-result relationship between cities and climate change. The study
is divided into three parts: (1) First of all, the activities that lead to climate
change and the role of cities in this respect are anaylzed. (2) Next, the effects
of climate change on cities are studied (3) And finally, as part of the relevant
bidirectional interaction, the proposed solutions to provide climate resilience
are examined. In the Results part, the overall findings of these three parts are
studied.

The Effects of Activities in Cities on Climate Change

It is esmitated that 68% of the World population, that is, around seven billion
people will inhabit the cities in the year 2050. The increasing populations in the
cities mean an incease in the factors leading to climate change. Urbanization
plays a direct role in this issue. Construction sector is already responsible
for 30% of global energy consumption and 28% of carbon emission due to
energy use (WEF, 2022b: 8). Urbanization directly affects regional climate.
The changes in flora has an important role in the average increase in global
temperatures observed since the 1950s. The expansion of the constructed
environment around the globe, 66% of which took place in the first 12 years
of the 21st century, has created serious effects on the natural ecosystems. The
natural areas in and around the cities are under high risk of getting disrupted.
The 2022 report issued by WEF reveals that 423 cities located in Asia, Africa
and America are situated in critical biological points of the Earth, and 90% of
them have a tendency to expand to natural areas. This in turn provides the
suitable conditions for climate change to happen (WEF, 2022b: 8, 9).
It is also seen that activities such as transportation, industry and energy
production increase the greenhouse gas emissions, which cause climate
change. Especially in the transportation sector, vehicles that run on fossil fuels
lead to greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate change. In addition,
the relevant vehicles cause air and noise pollution as well as socioeconomic
consequences (WMO, 2020).
Without doubt, however, the demand for energy largely based on fossil
fuels is not the only factor that increases climate change due to the activities
in the cities and the heat island effect. The heat island effect can be defined as
the effect of land surface covered by a city on the climate. City heat islands are
important examples to land-based climate change, and is characterized by the
loss of natural flora, a downward trend in the evaporation and hydration rates,
and changes in the surface albedo (Figure 4). Additionally, the morphology
and physical characteristics of the city, urban expansion, temperature increase

44 Journal of Environment, Urbanization and Climate,