Green in the city: Could more vegetation save lives?

Green in the city: Could more vegetation save lives?

A current study shows that the expansion of green areas in cities could significantly reduce the number of heat -related deaths. Researchers under the direction of Yuming Guo have examined the effects of vegetation on health in urban areas. The results, published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health , show that a 30 percent increase in plants in cities worldwide could reduce the heat-related death rates by about a third. This could save up to 1.16 million lives, which corresponds to almost 37 percent of all heat-related deaths during the summer half year, as vienna.at

The threatening effects of warming particularly affect city dwellers, since urban areas heat more during the day and cool down more slowly at night. The study takes into account data from 830 locations in 53 countries, including 15 German cities, over a period from 2001 to 2019. In Europe, heat -related deaths are estimated at almost 400,000, in Asia to 530,000 and around 500,000 people die from heat.

green areas and public health

urban green spaces are increasingly being considered crucial for public health in the context of climate change. An evaluation of the London school for hygiene and tropical medicine confirms that parks and trees help to reduce heat -related diseases and deaths. Cities with sufficient green areas show lower disease and death rates through heat. In addition to the cooler air and the shadow that trees donate, they also increase the humidity through transpiration, which has another cooling effect. This makes urban areas during heat waves more livable and safer, such as SigmaeArth.com reported.

However, the study refers to existing inequalities in access to these green areas. The lack of green spaces is particularly pronounced in socially disadvantaged districts, which increases the risk of heat -related diseases for the residents in these regions. The United Nations also recognized the importance of green areas for public health and are calling for universal access to these areas by 2030

heat waves and their consequences

climate change and frequent heat waves are a serious threat to human health. According to an analysis on the subject of heat waves, older people, toddlers and people with previous illnesses are particularly at risk. Extremes such as droughts and storms also lead to higher death rates. The fatal effects are already evident in past heat waves in 2003, where over 70,000 people died. It should also be noted that urban areas are often up to 10 ° C warmer than their rural environment, which further increases heat exposure, such as BildungungsServer.de explained.