ABSTRACT

Climate is often described as the synthesis of weather recorded over a long period of time either in part or generally of the earth as a whole. It is defined in terms of long-term averages and other statistics of weather conditions, including the frequencies of extreme events. Climate is considered a dynamic phenomenon. A natural process that plays a major part in shaping of the earth’s climate is the greenhouse effect. It produces a relatively hospitable environment near the earth’s surface where humans and other life forms have been able to live. Through a range of activities such as accelerated use of fossil fuels and broad-scale deforestation and land use changeswhich are intensified in urban areas, humans have contributed to an enhancement of the natural greenhouse effect. This enhanced greenhouse effect results froman increase in the atmospheric concentrations of the so-called greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide and methane. All these effects that change the natural variations of climate are considered as climate change phenomena. Typical human activities in cities, such as polluting industries, commercial businesses, and heavy traffic as well as dependency on cars, contribute to emission of GHGs and therefore climate change.