Cities would literally be much cooler with more trees around

Source: This post is created based on the article “Cities would literally be much cooler with more trees around”, published in Live Mint on 8^th Feb 2023.

Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 1 – Urbanisation and associated issues

Context: 2022 was Europe’s hottest summer on record. However, this summer could be even worse with the return of El Niño. Urban areas are likely to be much more affected in this scenario.

Due to urban heat islands (UHIs) affect, urban areas are 1.5° Celsius warmer than surrounding areas.

Building materials (concrete, asphalt, metal) and machinery (cars, trucks, air-conditioners) absorb and produce heat, turning city blocks into baking ovens.

What are the other factors that make cities unhealthy place to live?

4.3% of premature deaths in cities during the summer months are attributable to UHIs.

Outdoor air pollution kills more than 4 million people a year.

Noise causes the loss of more than 1.8 million healthy life years in Europe.

What are the options available to make urban areas more liveable?

Encouraging denser living could be a key part of the race to net zero carbon emissions.

Increasing tree canopy cover in urban areas could reduce premature summer deaths in cities.

Equitable distribution of trees throughout the city.

Reflective roofs or whiter-than-white paint.

Urban green spaces are also associated with a lower prevalence of diabetes, heart problems, better birth outcomes and improved cognitive functioning.

What are the challenges to urban forestry?

After buying and planting, new trees require maintenance because like human trees can’t survive in urban areas without much care.