THANH TRUC (General)
The UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says an El Nino phenomenon will develop in the coming months and, when combined with anthropogenic climate change, will push global temperatures to unprecedented highs – forecast 2024 could be the hottest year on record. In the context of increasing temperatures, effective climate adaptation models are attracting attention.
In fact, although the "hot summer" is covering Europe, not all cities experience the same heat. With tree-lined streets, lakes, parks and green buildings, many European cities are providing the ideal space to help people cool off.
“Cool street” in Vienna (Austria)
According to the Global Liveability Index from the Economic Intelligence Unit, Vienna is "the most livable city in the world". The Austrian capital also scores highly on the climate mitigation front, having first drawn up a climate plan in 1999, and by 2018 one of the first European cities to have a climate plan. develop strategies to identify and combat urban heat.
“Cool street” in Vienna (Austria).
When feeling too hot, residents can come to the “cool straßen” – tree-lined streets and cooled by the “fog rain” from the extensive misting system. One review found that the temperature in the “cool straßen” was 5oC lower than elsewhere. There are 22 such “cool straßen” throughout Vienna, with free amenities including tables and chairs, handmade toys, sports equipment and water purifiers.
“Cool straßen” is just one part of the city government's public infrastructure plan. To encourage residents to give up heat-producing (and polluting) cars, Vienna has also launched a network of new bike paths and pledged to plant 4.500 more trees a year. In addition to the addition of new heat-resistant elements, Vienna retains the old but effective elements, including more than 1.000 public drinking fountains and an extensive network of swimming pools in the city dating back to the 1920s.
“Ventilation Corridor” in Frankfurt (Germany)
A European Green City winner, Frankfurt has a very good level of greening. According to a recent study, trees can reduce surface temperatures by up to 12°C in the summer, so having around 200.000 trees in public spaces is an advantage for the European financial center. .
“Ventilation Corridor” in Frankfurt (Germany).
As one of the warmest cities in Germany, Frankfurt is designed with many “ventilation corridors” (Luftleitbahnen). These are strips of land with many trees or no tall buildings, to draw cooler air from the surrounding areas. For example, the Luftleitbahn on the Nidda River circulates 40.000 cubic meters of cool air per second into the city and effectively cools it down.
The Frankfurt government also requires new buildings to have "green" roofs - covered by trees. According to the Frankfurt Department of Environment, a green roof has many positive effects, including insulating and cooling itself (which saves electricity), soundproofing and reducing the effects of heavy rain, while fine dust is captured by trees. clean filter.
“Green City” Rzeszów (Poland)
Rzeszów has recently become one of Poland's greenest cities, thanks to the push to expand the green space, effectively helping the city to fight the heat above 350C.
“Green City” Rzeszów (Poland).
To become a green city, residents and authorities in Rzeszów have joined forces to improve tree cover in the city. They act as natural air conditioners, by creating a "microclimate" that lowers the temperature of the city. Measurements show that under the shade of trees, the temperature can be up to 200C lower than in direct sunlight.
According to city council spokesman, Artur Gernand, local authorities have asked residents where they want to plant trees. “This is important because residents know best where they need shade and green space. Investing in trees is a simple way to make life more friendly, for residents to feel comfortable and satisfied,” he said, adding that about 1.000 trees have been planted this year.
Vietnam actively adapts to climate change
Renewable energy is the "key" to help Vietnam go green. In the photo: The largest wind farm - solar power in Vietnam in Thuan Bac district, Ninh Thuan province. Photo: VNA
As a country with a coastline of over 3.260 km and two lowland deltas, Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. According to the latest report on the Global Climate Risk Index (KRI) from the environmental NGO Germanwatch (Germany), Vietnam ranks 13th among the countries most affected by climate change.
Meanwhile, the report “Climate change in Vietnam: impacts and adaptations” predicts that when the global temperature rises to 1,5ºC and 2ºC, the direct damage to Vietnam's GDP will be respectively. 4,5% and 6,7%, among other indirect losses, could reach 30% by 2050. In addition, with the scenario of increased temperature and 1 meter of sea level rise, Vietnam could 5% of the land area in the Mekong Delta will be lost, threatening the country's food security and economy. As the country's largest agricultural production center, the Mekong Delta contributes 50% of the country's rice production, 65% of aquaculture production, 70% of fruit production and 95% of rice exports. However, this area is being heavily impacted by natural disasters and climate change, and is warned as one of the three largest floodplains and land loss regions in the world.
In fact, global warming and climate change have increased the frequency of storms, floods, droughts and increasingly complicated riverine and coastal erosion phenomena. Therefore, the Government of Vietnam considers climate change adaptation at the heart of its national strategies and commitments to reduce emissions in response to the climate crisis.
At the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP 26), for the first time, Vietnam pledged to develop and implement strong resource-based measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. own, together with the cooperation and support of the international community, both in terms of finance and technology transfer. In order to concretize commitments at COP26, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 896/QD-TTg dated July 26, 7 approving the National Strategy on Climate Change for the period to 2022 in order to proactively adapt and reduce the impact of CC. The objective of the Strategy is to proactively and effectively adapt, reduce vulnerability and damage due to climate change; reduce greenhouse gas emissions to “zero” by 2050, actively and responsibly contribute to the international community in protecting the Earth's climate system; take advantage of opportunities from climate change response to transform the growth model, improve the resilience and competitiveness of the economy.
In the latest step, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha signed Decision No. 845/QD-TTg dated July 14, 7 establishing a Secretariat to implement the Political Declaration establishing a partnership for public energy transformation. equals (JETP Declaration). The agreement was signed by the leaders of Vietnam and the International Partnership Group (IPG) – which includes the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the United States, Italy, Canada, Japan, Norway and Denmark. - signed on November 2023, 14. Accordingly, the partners will help Vietnam realize its Emission Balance target by 11, accelerate the process of peaking greenhouse gas emissions and shift from fossil fuels to clean energy.
A recent European Union (EU) study found that increasing tree cover by 30% in cities could reduce the number of deaths associated with the “urban heat island” effect. where heat is trapped between tall buildings and absorbed into asphalt and concrete. In the cities studied, experts found that tree cover could reduce temperatures by 0,4°C on average and by as much as 5,9°C in some areas. Another study by Spanish and American scientists also found that people who live near green spaces are on average 2,5 years younger than those who do not live near trees.
Term 1: Climate change: Disaster is near!
Term 2: Join hands to protect people and the environment
