As the world heats up, cities work to cool down
Key takeaways
- Global warming trends mean more frequent, intense heat waves.
- Densely built urban areas, with their paved roads, impermeable surfaces and limited green spaces, are heat islands that can be 10 to 15 degrees Celsius (up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than surrounding rural areas.
- Climate change caused by our fossil fuel emissions will mean more frequent, more intense and earlier heat extremes in coming years.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Global warming trends mean more frequent, intense heat waves. Cities around the world are working to mitigate extreme heat and adapt urban life to climate change.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FCODCities like Antalya, in Turkey, are getting creative in their approach to tackling rising temperatures Image: Leonid Eremeychuk/image BROKER/picture alliance Advertisement Cities are especially vulnerable to extreme heat — days when the sidewalks seem to cook like a stove and it's a struggle to sleep at night.
Densely built urban areas, with their paved roads, impermeable surfaces and limited green spaces, are heat islands that can be 10 to 15 degrees Celsius (up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than surrounding rural areas. That extra heat strains crucial city infrastructure and harms public health; nearly half a million people die every year from heat-related causes, according to UN figures.