Now that Cyprus is experiencing a phenomenal heatwave the state should promptly review the “Urban Heat Island effect” and take action to minimize it.
This is what academic and research community experts told the Cyprus News Agency.
They argue there are some solutions on how cities can manage this uncomfortable effect and that not all the blame should be placed on rapid deforestation and unsustainable industry.
Professor of environmental engineering at the University of Cyprus Marina Neofytou pointed out that the continuous, anarchic and in some cases aggressive vertical building in cities puts enormous pressure on the urban environment.
“The consequences of global warming in the future will be so intense that not only will it not allow citizens to move comfortably outdoors and have the quality of life they have now, but it will also cause significant health problems and increase mortality,” she also said.
“A parallel consequence would be a major reduction in productivity in outdoor professions, such as in the construction sector, especially in the summer period,” she added.
She then stressed that urban environment, unfortunately, is not sufficiently included in the global view of climate change.
Therefore, in efforts to prevent the global average temperature increase by less than one and a half degrees globally by 2050.
Any local plans to mitigate or halt the temperature increase should take into account the built environment, which specifically in Cyprus doubles the local temperature increase, as the results show.
