scholarly journals Climate change and built environment - the role of urban greenery as a mitigation strategy in Greek urban areas

2021 ◽  
Vol 899 (1) ◽  
pp. 012018
Author(s):  
D Apostolopoulou ◽  
S Tsoka
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Mitigation Strategy ◽  
Urban Greenery

Abstract Extreme thermal conditions and heat waves, as a result of global warming, have increased in recent years. Especially in the Mediterranean area, cities face higher temperatures during summer months which severely affect thermal comfort and citizens’ well-being. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the role of urban greenery as a mitigation strategy and focuses on its effect towards the improvement of the urban microclimate and thermal comfort under extreme summer conditions. To this aim, a typical square, located in Athens, Greece, has been chosen as a case study. The microclimatic conditions are evaluated for its present state and after an increase of 20% of soil surface and 30% of trees, while both current (i.e., 2020) and future summer climatic conditions (for the year 2060) are examined. It was also proposed that all the soil surfaces would be covered in grass. The potential air temperature, mean radiant temperature and surface temperature are analysed by simulation means, using the ENVI-met microclimate simulation tool. The results of this study showed that increasing the vegetation ratio inside the study area contributes to considerably lower surface temperatures, while a significant reduction on mean radiant and air temperature at the pedestrian level is also achieved, forming better microclimate conditions. Urban greenery is an important factor for healthy and resilient cities. Its presence can provide lower temperatures in the pedestrian level during summer months, reforming the microclimate. The outcomes of this study can be used by urban planners and stakeholders to improve environmentally urban areas, mitigate the results of climate change, and create resilient cities.

Can climate adaptation solutions fix the urban heat island? An assessment of the thermal conditions during heat waves in Vienna impacted by climate change and urban development scenarios for the mid-21st-century

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Hamer ◽  
Heidelinde Trimmel ◽  
Philipp Weihs ◽  
Stéphanie Faroux ◽  
Herbert Formayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Urban Heat Island ◽  
Heat Wave ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Climate Adaptation ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Heat Island ◽  
Human Thermal Comfort ◽  
Urban Heat

<p>Climate change threatens to exacerbate existing problems in urban areas arising from the urban heat island. Furthermore, expansion of urban areas and rising urban populations will increase the numbers of people exposed to hazards in these vulnerable areas. We therefore urgently need study of these environments and in-depth assessment of potential climate adaptation measures.</p><p>We present a study of heat wave impacts across the urban landscape of Vienna for different future development pathways and for both present and future climatic conditions. We have created two different urban development scenarios that estimate potential urban sprawl and optimized development concerning future building construction in Vienna and have built a digital representation of each within the Town Energy Balance (TEB) urban surface model. In addition, we select two heat waves of similar frequency of return representative for present and future conditions (following the RCP8.5 scenario) of the mid 21<sup>st</sup> century and use the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) to simulate both heat wave events. We then couple the two representations urban Vienna in TEB with the WRF heat wave simulations to estimate air temperature, surface temperatures and human thermal comfort during the heat waves. We then identify and apply a set of adaptation measures within TEB to try to identify potential solutions to the problems associated with the urban heat island.</p><p>Global and regional climate change under the RCP8.5 scenario causes the future heat wave to be more severe showing an increase of daily maximum air temperature in Vienna by 7 K; the daily minimum air temperature will increase by 2-4 K. We find that changes caused by urban growth or densification mainly affect air temperature and human thermal comfort local to where new urbanisation takes place and does not occur significantly in the existing central districts.</p><p>Exploring adaptation solutions, we find that a combination of near zero-energy standards and increasing albedo of building materials on the city scale accomplishes a maximum reduction of urban canyon temperature of 0.9 K for the minima and 0.2 K for the maxima. Local scale changes of different adaption measures show that insulation of buildings alone increases the maximum wall surface temperatures by more than 10 K or the maximum mean radiant temperature (MRT) in the canyon by 5 K.  Therefore, additional adaptation to reduce MRT within the urban canyons like tree shade are needed to complement the proposed measures.</p><p>This study concludes that the rising air temperatures expected by climate change puts an unprecedented heat burden on Viennese inhabitants, which cannot easily be reduced by measures concerning buildings within the city itself. Additionally, measures such as planting trees to provide shade, regional water sensitive planning and global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in order to reduce temperature extremes are required.</p><p>We are now actively seeking to apply this set of tools to a wider set of cases in order to try to find effective solutions to projected warming resulting from climate change in urban areas.</p>

scholarly journals The impact of climate change will hit urban dwellers first – Can green infrastructure save us?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rüdiger Grote
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Island Effect ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Urban Heat ◽  
The Impact

Two phenomena that can cause large numbers of premature human deaths have gained attention in the last years: heat waves and air pollution. These two effects have two things in common: They are closely related to climate change and they are particularly intense in urban areas. Urban areas are particular susceptible to these impacts because they can store lots of heat and have little opportunity for cooling off (also known as the urban heat island effect). In order to mitigate these impacts and to establish an environment that protects human health and improve well-being, implementation of green infrastructure – trees, green walls, and green roofs – is commonly proposed as a remedy. More trees, hedges and lawns are intuitively welcome by people living in cities for their beautifying effects, but to which degree can such greening actually counterbalance the expected effects of climate change? In this review I would like to investigate what science can offer to answer this question.

scholarly journals Effects of Heat Stress Exposure and Climate Change on Health and Safety of Outdoor Workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 836-847
Author(s):  
Tarek Abokhashabah ◽  
Bassem Jamoussi ◽  
Ahmed Saleh Summan ◽  
Ezz Abdelfattah ◽  
Ijaz Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Heat Exposure ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Outdoor Workers

The studies carried in the world regarding the possible significant influence of climate change on the health and safety of outdoor workers has not been given the due consideration (especially in the least developed and developing countries). Hundreds and thousands of outdoor workers are exposed to elevated temperatures, humid environments and climate extremes in combination with urban air pollution; which is ultimately impacting their safety and well-being. The statistics show that in the past few years, due to the rise in temperature on earth and frequent heat waves within urban settlements, an abrupt increase has been observed in the rate of heat-related health problems. Exposure to extreme heat (exceeding 40 ºC)causes many direct and indirect health hazards, which include vector-borne diseases and exposure to certain harmful chemicals. Currently, the climatic and heat-related effects are decreasing the working capacity of workers and in the future it is projected that the frequency and magnitude of these effects will increase. With the rise in temperature and the occurrence of frequent heat waves in urban areas, the number of health issues due to high (maximum average)temperature has increased rapidly. This article discusses the impacts of heat exposure and climatic change on productivity,health and safety of outdoor workers by summarizing findings from the literature, and eventually recommends control measures for reducing heat exposure at the outdoor work areasand climatic adaptations. In addition, it argues that there is a need for more research about the impacts on health and economic conditions due to heat and climate change in the workplace on global level (especially in developing countries).

scholarly journals The effect of climate change on depression in urban areas of western Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamed Abbasi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Western Iran ◽  
Regime Changes ◽  
Climatic Time Series ◽  
Climatic Elements

Abstract Objective Human is accustomed to climatic conditions of the environment where they are born and live throughout their lifetime. The aim of this study is to examine mood swings and depression caused by sudden climate changes that have not yet given the humans a chance to adapt. Results Our results showed that depression could be affected by climate change and as a result, the behavior of climatic elements and trends has damaged mental health in the western regions of Iran. By investigating the trends and changes of climatic time series and their relationship with the rate of depression in urban areas of western Iran, it can be said that climate change is probably a mental health challenge for urban populations. Climate change is an important and worrying issue that makes the life difficult. Rapid climate changes in western Iran including rising air temperature, changes in precipitation, its regime, changes cloudiness and the amount of sunlight have a negative effects on health. The results showed that type of increasing or decreasing trend, as well as different climatic elements in various seasons did not have the same effect on the rate of depression in the studied areas.

On Approaches to Taking into Account the Risks of Changing Climatic Conditions when Planning and Implementing Oil and Gas Projects

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-65
Author(s):  
P. N. Mikheev
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Climate Risks ◽  
The Impact

The article discusses issues related to the impact of climate change on the objects of the oil and gas industry. The main trends in climate change on a global and regional (on the territory of Russian Federation) scale are outlined. Possible approaches to the identification and assessment of climate risks are discussed. The role of climatic risks as physical factors at various stages of development and implementation of oil and gas projects is shown. Based on the example of oil and gas facilities in the Tomsk region, a qualitative assessment of the level of potential risk from a weather and climatic perspective is given. Approaches to creating a risk management and adaptation system to climate change are presented.

scholarly journals Analysis of climate change in Dnipropetrovsk Region

2017 ◽  
pp. 43-51
Author(s):  
V. V. Hrynchak
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Absolute Temperature ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Weather Observations ◽  
Average Annual Temperature

The decision about writing this article was made after familiarization with the "Brief Climatic Essay of Dnepropetrovsk City (prepared based on observations of 1886 – 1937)" written by the Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Weather Department of the Hydrometeorological Service A. N. Mikhailov. The guide has a very interesting fate: in 1943 it was taken by the Nazis from Dnipropetrovsk and in 1948 it returned from Berlin back to the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological and Environmental Directorate of the USSR, as evidenced by a respective entry on the Essay's second page. Having these invaluable materials and data of long-term weather observations in Dnipro city we decided to analyze climate changes in Dnipropetrovsk region. The article presents two 50-year periods, 1886-1937 and 1961-2015, as examples. Series of observations have a uniform and representative character because they were conducted using the same methodology and results processing. We compared two main characteristics of climate: air temperature and precipitation. The article describes changes of average annual temperature values and absolute temperature values. It specifies the shift of seasons' dates and change of seasons' duration. We studied the changes of annual precipitation and peculiarities of their seasonable distribution. Apart from that peculiarities of monthly rainfall fluctuations and their heterogeneity were specified. Since Dnipro city is located in the center of the region the identified tendencies mainly reflect changes of climatic conditions within the entire Dnipropetrovsk region.

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE GROWTH RATE OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN THE LENINGRAD REGION

2021 ◽  
pp. 99-112
Author(s):  
M. V. Klyueva ◽  
◽  
I. M. Shkol’nik ◽  
Yu. L. Rudakova ◽  
T. V. Pavlova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Leningrad Region ◽  
System A ◽  
Return Levels ◽  
Main Geophysical Observatory

Return levels of the major climatic stressors affecting the level of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases in the Leningrad region are evaluated. Based on data from 26 ob-serving stations located in 18 municipal units, a cluster analysis has been carried out allowing for classification of the territory according to the degree of influence of climatic conditions on the pathology of cardiovascular system. A projection of future changes in the selected climate indica-tors for the mid and end of the XXI century is conducted. The projection is based on the ensem-ble of climate change simulations using the Voeikov Main Geophysical Observatory regional cli-mate model under the IPCC RCP8.5 scenario. It has been shown that the main future threats due to the changing climate are associated with an increase in mortality from cardiovascular diseases connected with the projected increase in the intensity of the heat waves. The relevancy to take into account climate warming when it comes to developing a strategy for combating cardiovascu-lar diseases in municipal units is emphasized.

Understanding the Role of Urban Morphology and Green Areas Configuration During Heat Waves

2020 ◽  
pp. 502-517
Author(s):  
Marialuce Stanganelli ◽  
Carlo Gerundo
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Statistical Correlation ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Planning Strategies

This paper focuses on urban planning strategies to adapt cities to the increasing rising of temperatures during summer heat waves. The main target is to investigate which configuration and distribution pattern of green spaces could effectively improve natural cooling of urban environments. Although the benefit that green areas give to natural cooling is well known, this kind of studies has hardly been carried out, especially at an urban scale where it is crucial to define quantities and density of green areas to address open spaces design. To reach this goal, a methodology based on the interpretation of the statistical correlation among temperature, urban parameters and green areas configurational indicators was implemented and applied to the case study of the Municipality of Naples, performing all the analysis in a GIS. Results provide guidelines to improve natural cooling in urban areas adopting the most effective configuration and distribution of green areas within a densely-built context.

5. Climate change impacts

2014 ◽  
pp. 68-97
Author(s):  
Mark Maslin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Storm Surges ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Coastal Cities ◽  
Global Biodiversity ◽  
Dangerous Climate Change ◽  
Water And Food Security

What is dangerous climate change? What is our coping range? ‘Climate change impacts’ assesses the potential effects of climate change on the natural environment as well as on human societies and our economies. Climate change impacts will increase significantly as global temperature rises. Climate change will affect the return period and severity of floods, droughts, heat waves, and storms. Coastal cities and towns will be especially vulnerable as sea-level rise will worsen the effects of floods and storm surges. Water and food security and public health will become the most important problems facing all countries. Climate change also threatens global biodiversity and the well being of billions of people.

scholarly journals Future Temperature Extremes Will Be More Harmful: A New Critical Factor for Improved Forecasts

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (20) ◽  
pp. 4015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Costas A. Varotsos ◽  
Yuri A. Mazei
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Temperature Change ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Extreme Temperature ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Extreme Temperature Events ◽  
The Past

There is increasing evidence that extreme weather events such as frequent and intense cold spells and heat waves cause unprecedented deaths and diseases in both developed and developing countries. Thus, they require extensive and immediate research to limit the risks involved. Average temperatures in Europe in June–July 2019 were the hottest ever measured and attributed to climate change. The problem, however, of a thorough study of natural climate change is the lack of experimental data from the long past, where anthropogenic activity was then very limited. Today, this problem can be successfully resolved using, inter alia, biological indicators that have provided reliable environmental information for thousands of years in the past. The present study used high-resolution quantitative reconstruction data derived from biological records of Lake Silvaplana sediments covering the period 1181–1945. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a slight temperature change in the past could trigger current or future intense temperature change or changes. Modern analytical tools were used for this purpose, which eventually showed that temperature fluctuations were persistent. That is, they exhibit long memory with scaling behavior, which means that an increase (decrease) in temperature in the past was always followed by another increase (decrease) in the future with multiple amplitudes. Therefore, the increase in the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme temperature events due to climate change will be more pronounced than expected. This will affect human well-being and mortality more than that estimated in today’s modeling scenarios. The scaling property detected here can be used for more accurate monthly to decadal forecasting of extreme temperature events. Thus, it is possible to develop improved early warning systems that will reduce the public health risk at local, national, and international levels.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document