Does Climate Change Make Industrialization An Obsolete Development Strategy for Cities in the South?

This paper attempts to explore the implications of climate change for economic development strategies in cities in the South. In particular, it examines whether climate change makes industrialization an obsolete development strategy for these cities. It starts by examining the effects of climate change and the challenges posed for the cities concerned, followed by a discussion of the role of industrialization in economic development and climate change. It then investigates how these issues affect Southern cities by considering the experiences of Shanghai, Mumbai and Mexico City. In conclusion, the paper hypothesizes that climate change will make industrialization a more, not less, important development strategy, even for those cities that are currently affected by pre-mature deindustrialization.