Green spaces provide substantial but unequal urban cooling globally
Nanjing University · Aarhus University · +9 more institutions
Abstract
Climate warming disproportionately impacts countries in the Global South by increasing extreme heat exposure. However, geographic disparities in adaptation capacity are unclear. Here, we assess global inequality in green spaces, which urban residents critically rely on to mitigate outdoor heat stress. We use remote sensing data to quantify daytime cooling by urban greenery in the warm seasons across the ~500 largest cities globally. We show a striking contrast, with Global South cities having ~70% of the cooling capacity of cities in the Global North (2.5 ± 1.0 °C vs. 3.6 ± 1.7 °C). A similar gap occurs for the cooling adaptation benefits received by an average resident in these cities (2.2 ± 0.9 °C vs. 3.4 ±…
Citation impact
- FWCI
- 35.59
- Percentile
- 100%
- References
- 105
Authors
11Topics & keywords
- Adaptation (eye)
- Geography
- Inequality
- Climate change
- Global warming
- Urban heat island
- Heat stress
- Tropical climate
- Sustainable cities and communities