African cities with over 10 million residents are getting hotter fast. Millions face disaster in these urban heat islands unless the cities start greening and adapting to climate change soon.
Very hot days in Western Sydney are typically 5 degrees hotter than parts of the city close to the coast and are becoming more common, but only in the west. Four climate drivers explain the difference.
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Planting trees in urban areas can reduce the impacts of urban heat islands.
Dutch_Photos/Shutterstock
Australian cities remain woefully unprepared for the more extreme weather we are already seeing with climate change. But some cities overseas stand out for having developed readymade solutions.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup, beginning on Nov. 20, will be held in Qatar.
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After living one of the hottest summers in European history, we have to look to the population suffering these temperatures. How does heat affect our physical and mental health?
Aerial view of a residential neighbourhood with abundant urban forest around it.
(Ollie Craig/pexels)
Seen from above, parts of our cities now have very little green space, and we’re losing the green corridors that enable wildlife to move between the remaining urban habitats.
The Yellow River in China winds past aquaculture and an oil and gas field on its way to a newly formed channel.
NASA
With decades of images and data from the same locations, these satellites can show changes over time, including deforestation, changes in waterways and how loss of trees corresponds to urban heat.
The severe heat wave in western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, between June and July 2021 caused 1,400 deaths.
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North America’s 2021 extreme heat event should compel governments to scale innovations from leading cities and countries to advance resilient, restorative and renewable cities.
A street fan provides relief on a hot summer day in New York City.
Stephen Chernin/Getty Images
Extreme heat waves are putting lives in danger, with some of the hottest urban neighborhoods 10 degrees hotter or more than their wealthier neighbors. Often, these are communities of color.
Concrete and asphalt roads, and other built materials readily absorb, store and release heat, raising city temperatures, a phenomenon called the urban heat island.
(Pixabay)
Urban gardens, parks and green walls are crucial ways to tackle flash floods and city heat. But new global research finds its effectiveness varies from city to city.
Interior green walls can improve air quality and reduce noise levels, improving the health and well-being of those who work there.
(Shutterstock)