Global temperatures reached record levels in 2023, the year that shattered climate records with extreme weather phenomena that left devastating effects. It seems to be just the beginning of hotter summers in human history, as temperatures have risen unusually at the ocean surface, with wildfires, droughts, floods, earthquakes, and volcanoes hitting different parts of the world.
Such harsh weather conditions are enough to push some people to gather what remains of their lives and search for more suitable places to live. But now the question arises: Are there really places that can survive in a changing world due to climate change, and are these cities ready to face more extreme weather events, and what makes these places completely resilient against rising global temperatures?
Searching for Safe Havens
Across the world, rising sea levels, extended periods of drought, extreme weather, higher temperatures, and high humidity could render entire regions unsuitable for living. The Middle East and large parts of Europe, the United States, and other regions are particularly at risk.
Research published last October revealed that humans are more vulnerable to high temperatures and humidity than previously believed. It is now understood that our ability to regulate heat – to cool ourselves – reaches its peak at a lower temperature than previously estimated.
If temperatures continue to rise as expected, vast areas of the planet in tropical and subtropical regions may become uninhabitable. However, due to geography, some parts of the world are expected to be less affected by climate change, with some cities emerging as less vulnerable to these extreme changes and taking proactive steps to prepare for an unstable future.
With the increasing clarity of the consequences of global warming, some cities market themselves as “climate havens” from harsh weather conditions, referring to regions less prone to suffering from extreme heat, rising sea levels, floods, and the destructive damages of environmental disasters.
The issue of “climate havens” has gained popularity in recent years, but how can one find out if a place is more suitable for dealing with climate change than where we currently live?
Experts point to two key factors:
The first is geography, noting places where extreme weather phenomena are rare, which tend to be located near freshwater bodies, making parts of Canada, Russia, and Scandinavian countries potential international havens.
The second is the ability to accommodate newcomers, whether climate refugees or not, who are the forgotten victims of the increasing impact of climate-related natural disasters that have caused 21.5 million new displacement cases every year over the past decade, more than double the number of displacements due to conflict and violence, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Heavy rains and floods displaced more than a million people in Somalia (Anadolu Agency)
The World Bank estimates that up to 216 million people may be displaced within their own countries due to climate change by 2050, and these numbers are expected to increase in the coming decades if natural disasters continue at the same pace witnessed in the past few decades. The situation may end up displacing 1.2 billion people globally by 2050.
These escalating numbers raise many questions, such as whether areas are capable of accommodating these numbers, whether they have enough affordable housing, whether residents welcome strangers, and whether local and state governments are prepared for population increases.
If the answer to at least some of these questions is yes, then you may have found a potential destination for yourself.
Transitioning to Safety
Before September 2017, no one even thought for a moment about leaving the city of Aguadilla, one of the best tourist destinations in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. However, after Hurricane Maria struck that month, resulting in the deaths of about 3,000 people and turning life on the island upside down, everything changed.
Only a few thousand people from the Caribbean island had the experience to try their luck thousands of miles north in Buffalo, New York, which is already home to a large Puerto Rican community.
View of Buffalo in New York (Shutterstock)
The migration of climate migrants to Buffalo wasn’t just about meeting their cultural and linguistic needs. Months before the devastating hurricane was announced by Mayor Byron Brown that Buffalo is a “climate haven,” pointing out its potential in his strategic plan for the next four years.
Since then, the city has released a guide announcing the benefits of living in Buffalo, including an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius in July. With an expected increase in the population, the city reviewed zoning laws in 2017 to encourage development in current city corridors and began updating old sewage infrastructure.
Buffalo is not alone; Cincinnati, Ohio, has also classified itself as a future climate haven in its “Climate Protection Green Cincinnati Plan“. The plan states that “although the city has its own climate vulnerabilities, it is likely to emerge as a climate haven.”
Jesse Keenan, an associate professor at Tulane University, went as far as to describe certain cities as “climate-resilient,” identifying some of these cities like Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Minnesota, and other places as future climate havens. Planners have started mapping out what the future might look like with thousands more residents.
Minnesota is described as a future climate haven (Pixabay)
In the United States, some experts nominate places that are safer from weather fluctuations, such as the Midwest states of the U.S. known as the “American Middle West,” with naturally lower temperatures, and the Great Northern Plains, which are inland areas far from the high oceans and seas, which could cause more floods and more intense hurricanes.
Many of these communities have traditionally relied on manufacturing economies and may be well-positioned to meet the needs of climate migrants. They share one thing in common: a decline in their populations by hundreds of thousands since the 1950s, with many moving elsewhere in search of work, leaving behind empty homes and vast spaces that can now be repurposed.
Many cities classified as – or self-designated as – climate havens in those areas meet climate change adaptation criteria. Common examples include Cleveland on the southern shore of Lake Erie, with approximately 30,000 vacant lots.
Often referred to as a “climate haven,” Burlington, Virginia, and its surrounding areas were inundated with stormwater in July 2023 (Pixabay)
For many people, living in Phoenix, Arizona, is entirely logical – with pleasant temperatures for most of the year, relatively affordable housing, and a growing range of economic opportunities that have attracted people for 80 years – transforming the desert city of 65,000 residents into a sprawling area with over 5 million inhabitants. A series of innovations have made heat seem like a temporary nuisance rather than an existential threat to many residents.
The Ideal Climate Haven
For decades, cities like Perth, Sydney, and Melbourne have been praised as some of the most suitable places to live on this planet. However, in recent years, thousands of inhabitants of these cities, known as the “mainland,” have moved to Hobart, the capital of the Australian state of Tasmania, citing climate issues as the primary reason.
As one of the least populated state capitals, with about 250,000 residents, Hobart enjoys a moderate climate year-round. The city says it needs about 30,000 additional homes and aims to accommodate 70% of population growth within the current urban climate footprint as part of its major strategy, believed to target underutilized urban spaces for city cohesion’s benefits: environmental, social, and economic.
Hobart is one of the least populated state capitals and says it needs about 30,000 additional homes (Unsplash)
Hobart is not alone in adopting the narrative of migration and climate havens. Vienna, the Austrian capital in the heart of continental Europe, stands out with globally renowned public spaces and directly sourced water supplies from the Austrian Alps. Despite the country’s Arctic climate and hot summers, it actively adapts to climate change.
Vienna launched its first “climate protection” program in 1999 and is proud of a large flood mitigation system protecting residents from rising Danube river waters. In 2020, they announced the first areas of “climate protection” where new buildings are allowed only with climate-friendly heating and water systems.
Today, over half the city consists of green spaces, while housing infrastructure makes Vienna well-positioned to handle climate refugees escaping the effects of climate change.
Singapore is expected to spend tens of billions of dollars on seawalls and ocean defense systems. However, observers say the clear reality is that no place on Earth will escape the impacts of rising global temperatures.
As the world warms up in the coming decades, according to the latest projections, higher temperatures will bring more severe weather conditions and more disasters. People must find ways to cope with these problems.
In some cases, adapting may be as simple as installing air conditioning in more homes. However, some may feel forced to take more drastic steps, such as leaving their homes behind.
But… Are these cities truly immune to climate change?
While many previously mentioned places excel in a moderate climate and vast areas, less prone to severe climate change impacts, experts agree that it does not necessarily translate to short-term climate havens. Some argue that there will be no city, state, or region immune to the climate crisis.
For example, Buffalo, known for having one of the highest snowfalls in the United States, may see more severe snowstorms due to climate change. The city experienced one of these severe snowstorms in December 2022 when a record-breaking storm with winds reaching 70 miles per hour dropped over four feet of snow over four days, leaving thousands without power amidst extreme cold temperatures and resulting in at least 40 fatalities.
A snowstorm burying Buffalo in New York under over five feet of snow in December 2022 (Reuters)
Among the many cities in the Great Lakes region, Vermont in New England’s northeastern region may have once been considered a potential climate haven due to its geography and desire to attract more people. However, recent extreme flooding due to heavy rains linked to climate change has become a greater problem. The state experienced catastrophic floods last July, the most severe in nearly a century, with researchers connecting them to climate change, impacting everywhere, even if residents take steps to mitigate the damage.
Even the states known as climate havens may not actually be safe. In Tasmania, the average temperature is expected to rise by about 5.2 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, impacting winter sports industries with already warm winters, while wildfires and droughts are increasing.
According to Jason Byrne, an associate professor in human geography and planning at the University of Tasmania, Hobart, one of the most exposed cities to fires in Australia. With more climate migrants heading there, traffic worsened, housing costs skyrocketed, and it is worrying that many buildings are not prepared for rising temperatures.
Singapore also invests heavy billions in seawalls and ocean defense systems. However, it is apparent that no place on Earth will escape rising global temperatures’ impacts.
With warming projected in the coming decades, according to the latest projections, higher temperatures will bring more severe weather conditions and more disasters, requiring people to find ways to cope with these problems.
In some cases, adapting may be as simple as installing air conditioning in more homes. Others might feel forced to take more drastic measures, such as leaving their homes behind.
In the end, as the world continues to warm up, adapting and preparing for climate change impacts will become increasingly crucial. The challenge is not that the climate will destroy us, but that we have built a civilization for climate different from what we live in now and will experience in the future. Therefore, governments everywhere are rethinking how to build cities better adapted to climate change.
Lisa Dale, a lecturer in climate studies at Columbia University, says, “The main challenge we face is not that the climate will destroy, but we have built a civilization for a different climate from what we currently experience and what we will see in
