GREEN SPACES MAKE HOT CITIES COOL

Traffic jams, crowds and pollution are synonymous with most cities today – not to mention higher temperatures.

Cities often suffer from “urban heat island effect”. This happens when buildings, concrete and other infrastructure trap heat. The consequences: increased energy costs (eg: for air-conditioning), higher levels of air pollution, a surge in heat-related illnesses, and even fatalities.

Cities hold most of the world’s residents. In a warming world, cities face an even greater burden of higher temperatures than rural areas, exposing city residents to excessive heat, says the World Resources Institute. Extreme heat can kill – today heatwaves kill more people than any other kind of extreme weather.

Most cities are cut off from nature and lack tree cover and green spaces. According to the World Health Organization, urban dwellers should have access to a minimum of 0.5 to 1 hectare of public green space within 300 meters of their residence. However, this is not the case in most cities.

Having more green spaces and growing trees can cool cities and prevent heat-related fatalities. A study published by The Lancet Planetary Health, with information obtained from thousands of European cities, estimates that 43,000 deaths per year are caused by a lack of green spaces.

Bring nature back into cities. The world needs more green spaces like these – see pictures below (images via Mathea’s Garden).