What can cities do to create a cooler urban environment for citizens?
This article was written by a participant of the Global Center on Adaptation’s Young Leaders Program. The program develops young talent to become future leaders in global climate change adaptation efforts by enhancing their knowledge, skills, and ability to thrive in an international environment.
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ecord-breaking temperatures were recorded throughout Europe this year, including in Germany, Belgium and France. According to National Geographic, five of the hottest summers since the 1500s have occurred in the last 15 years – and that doesn’t even include 2019.
Extreme temperatures like these are felt most keenly in urban and densely populated areas, where high levels of concrete and infrastructure add to the problem. The combination of rapid population growth and unpredictable, fluctuating temperatures, make city-dwellers extremely vulnerable to heat stress, or the “urban heat island” effect.
The urban heat island refers to the temperature difference between a metropolitan area and its surrounding spaces, such as suburbia or the countryside.
Cities can be 3°C to 10°C hotter than these areas, a huge difference caused by spatial configuration, as well as lack of green space and the build up of infrastructure. Cities absorb heat through buildings, asphalt and other materials.
Meanwhile, research shows that urban heat stress leads to multiple negative impacts, including health issues, poor infrastructure, water insecurity, and – ultimately – poor liveability.
In the Summer of 2006, The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) estimated that heatwaves caused around 1,000 deaths in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Meanwhile, in 2010, there were 56,000 heatwave-related deaths in Russia. More recently, during the summer of 2018, the extreme urban temperature was responsible for 700 deaths in Sweden and more than 250 in Denmark. Now that we are aware of the extreme effect high temperatures can have on our cities, it is critical that we take a closer look at planning and design policies in urban areas.
Green and blue space
In terms of urban and spatial design, the creation of green and blue (ponds, lakes, canals and other water-based areas) space is a tremendous nature-based solution for dealing with urban heat stress. Nature-based solutions involve the use of nature to tackle environmental challenges such as disaster risk management, water security, food security and other climate change related events.
However, amid the rapid growth and development of cities and the demand for economic growth, environmental considerations are often overlooked.
In 2018, 55% of the world’s population lived in urban areas, a number that is expected to reach 68% by 2050. Demand for housing will, inevitably, also skyrocket, making it even harder to set aside land for green and blue spaces. This is why we must involve all urban stakeholders to adapt to the current – and future – extreme conditions.
This transition to more climate-resilient cities must involve a shift towards sustainable urban development that is more adaptive to climate extremes. This must happen on the macro-, meso- and micro-levels.
1. Global advocacy
On the macro-level, international organisations have a huge advocacy role to play regarding the necessity to adapt to extreme climate events. International accords like the Paris climate agreement, which aims to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 °C, are critical. Even though there are still some policymakers who deny or overlook the reality of climate change, there are many, many countries that are working hard to meet their targets, and their efforts must be applauded and shared as widely as possible.
2. Adaptive policies
Governments at both the state and regional level play a vital role in creating and implementing the rules and norms that exist at the meso-level. We need adaptive, flexible policy-making to tackle climate extremes and their uncertainties. To deal with urban heat stress, cities have been set a target to keep temperatures below 38°C during the summer.
To achieve this goal, governments must deliver many options such as more parks and green spaces, mandatory green roofs, restrict the use of private cars, but also support best practices from the local level to enhance citizen-led initiatives. These initiatives can be nurtured through subsidies, tax benefits and other methods.
3. Local initiatives
Last but not least, the micro-level could be a platform for citizens and organisations to conduct experiments and research, then act on the results. Where appropriate, knowledge from indigenous communities can be applied to help solve problems in urban areas.
The transition to more sustainable, resilient cities will be a collective effort. Synergy among stakeholders and across sectors is needed to accelerate climate change adaptation. This will be difficult – but this does not mean it is impossible. If everyone involved is willing to contribute, then this goal can be achieved.
The ideas presented in this article aim to inspire adaptation action – they are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Global Center on Adaptation.
