Trees can help cities shrug off heatwaves
Trees will help mitigate some of the worst pollution amid rapid global urbanisation, writes Pascal Mittermaier
In May, I had the dubious fortune of visiting Mumbai, India during the city’s hottest month on record. Temperatures remained at more than 40°C for days at a time. The difference between standing in the shade of a tree and standing in full sunlight was like night and day. Such heatwaves are not merely uncomfortable. They pose a serious health threat – one that is often overlooked when attending to extreme weather. Heatwaves account for more deaths than any other type of weather-related event, killing more than 12,000 people worldwide each year. The danger is particularly pronounced in cities, where the "urban heat island" effect results in temperatures as much as 12°C higher than in less developed areas nearby. And the issue is not confined to tropical cities such as Mumbai. In August, 2003, a devastating heatwave across Europe killed more than 3,000 people in Paris alone. Making matters worse, cities tend to have higher rates of air pollution, especially fine particulate matter (PM)...
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