New report: European cities are struggling with escalating heatwaves
How to build heatwave resilience – A study of European cities’ preparedness
Europe, the continent where warming is accelerating at the most alarming rate, faces a critical challenge: urban heatwave adaptation. A new Sweco study highlights this critical issue, revealing that European cities are struggling to keep pace with adaptation measures for the escalating heatwaves.
Heat-related concerns are often overlooked in cities’ climate plans, especially for vulnerable populations, a new Sweco study reveals. There is a lack of detailed data and vulnerability mapping across European cities.
In European regions, heat-related mortality has increased by around 30% in the past 20 years. The urban heat island effect exacerbates this issue, causing cities to experience even higher temperatures compared to rural areas.
2023 saw a record number of days with extreme heat. At the current emission levels, the Global Carbon Budget team estimates a 50% chance that global warming will exceed 1.5°C consistently around 2030. During the summer of 2022 more than 61,000 people died as a result of Europe’s record-shattering heatwave.
The risks extend beyond public health, affecting infrastructure and economic productivity. Despite these risks, heat-related concerns are often overlooked in cities’ climate plans and adaptation policies are lagging, especially when it comes to safeguarding vulnerable populations.
How can cities protect inhabitants from the increasing number of heatwaves? Sweco’s analysis of 24 European cities highlights the urgent need for heat wave mitigation and resilience.
The results have been published in a new Urban Insight report together with key trends, lessons learned, and high-level recommendations for policymakers and urban sustainability practitioners globally.
