Climate Adaptation Awareness Needed to Address Urban Climate Phenomena

Urban climate phenomena like the urban heat island effect (UHI), strong winds in some areas of the city, and stagnant air in others are growing in urban areas as they affect residents’ health, well-being, and safety. Climate change and rapid population growth exacerbate the problem.

While many possible solutions are known, adequate adaptation strategies are still not implemented because of a general lack of awareness, according to a study.

Researchers conducted the study in 10 countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Germany, Indonesia, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, and the USA. They interviewed specialists in the urban sustainability field, primarily from consultancies, government, academia, and NGO’s.

The study used a questionnaire to gauge the levels of perceived awareness of urban climate adaptation strategies between countries and community actors, consisting of citizens, politicians, urban planners/designers, and urban climate scientists responsible for sharing their urban environment.

The study delved into what these actors understand about urban climate adaptation measures, how awareness varies between countries, and how awareness is linked to education levels and temperature ranges.

Climate adaptation strategies include the city’s layout, vegetation, and building materials (paving and coating) that can lower temperatures and minimise anthropogenic heat sources from air conditioning combustion in cars.  

Data revealed a significant difference between countries in the level of awareness. Levels of awareness correlate with educational levels rather than the country’s climatic conditions.

Awareness also varies widely between each group. Participants thought citizens and politicians have lower awareness than urban planners and climate experts because of their formal education.

Citizens and politicians are involved in the decision-making process and are responsible for implementing adaptation measures, so there is a need to raise their awareness.

Suggested methods to raise awareness include education through media campaigns, easy-to-understand information on the types of interventions or examples of good practices and successful projects, and interactive events like workshops and exhibitions.

The study is interesting as it reveals the participants’ perceptions of the level of awareness between different groups of people in society.

Because the study is conducted in ten countries, it is quite broad in scope. The data and information in the study will be helpful to other cities and areas with similar problems.