Neighborhood associations in the South and environmental organizations are calling for more shaded areas in public spaces in the region to mitigate the high temperatures, especially in summer, and the harmful effects of solar radiation on health. A claim shared by medical professionals, who recall that episodes of extreme heat, such as those experienced this month, cause an increase in deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, especially among the elderly and with chronic pathologies, and a increase in cases of skin cancer due to sun exposure without proper protection.
All appeal to a greater sensitivity of the municipalities with a more sensitive urban planning in which the health and well-being of the citizen prevail in the midst of global warming, with more trees, awnings and pergolas in parks, squares and walks. A social current that is gaining more and more strength and is supported by architects such as Carlo Garrone Merlo, author of the new Las Rosas park, in Arona, a space that stands out precisely for its shaded areas.
“We are facing a very serious problem in the South of which administrations should be more aware,” he stresses. Against those who maintain that town halls give priority to open spaces without green areas to lower maintenance costs, Garrone defends betting on more vegetation, “because the quality of life provided by shaded areas is priceless and because those trees where they will be invested now, they will give shade to our children and grandchildren”, he assures this newspaper.
In the opinion of this professional, it is not an expense, but an “investment in the health of citizens” and adds that public administrations have “a lot of financial resources” for this purpose. “What is very sad is that squares and playgrounds are created without an awning, a sail or a tree to protect themselves from the sun”, he emphasizes.
In line with the opinion of this architect, different neighborhood groups insist on a message: “More trees and fewer cement squares are needed.” For their part, environmental associations emphasize the beneficial effects of vegetation in the face of climate change, in addition to providing shaded spaces and helping to refresh the air. According to UN estimates, houses with trees close to their façades reduce air conditioning consumption by up to 30%, and in boulevard-type spaces with vegetation, the temperature can drop between 2 and 6 degrees.
HEAT ISLAND
In addition, the experts emphasize that a greater role for trees in urban areas would reduce the effect known as “heat island”, caused by thermal accumulation on concrete and asphalt during the day and its release at night.
The heat wave that affects half the world on these summer dates has triggered alarms about the consequences of climate change on the population, a worrying reality that forces us to adapt urban environments. Ecologists such as Fernando Valladares, from the Higher Center for Scientific Research (CSIC), have already warned that last summer “will probably be one of the coolest of our lifetimes.”
