Which Columbian city was facing extreme heat, and why?
Medellin is known as the 'City of Eternal Spring' because it has pleasant weather all year round. But, in the past, the city expanded quickly without considering the environment. The large number of roads and concrete buildings caused it to experience the urban heat island effect. This made it hotter than the nearby countryside.
Medellin, Colombia's second-biggest city, also had a pollution problem because of the increasing use of private vehicles. The city is in the middle of the Aburra valley, so the pollution stays trapped.
People in Medellin wanted to solve these problems.
What solution did the people of Medellin evolve to deal with the heat?
In 2016, Medellin's mayor, Frederico Guiterrez, started a new plan for the city's growth, which focused more on people and plants.
This plan cost $16.3 million and created 30 Green Corridors along with the city’s roads and waterways. This made the city greener. These corridors also helped make the city cooler, so people didn't need as much air conditioning.
Local government data shows this plan made the city 2 degrees Celsius cooler. Experts think it could get even cooler, by 4-5 degrees, in the next few decades.
Can you tell me more about these ‘Green Corridors’?
The 'Green Corridors' connected newly planted areas along roads, walls, streams, parks, and hills. These corridors look like small forests with different plants, like bamboo grasses and palm trees.
Buildings like metro stations and bridges were also greened to trap less heat. Government buildings were decorated with gardens on walls and green roofs.
New bicycle paths were added, too. This led to an increase in people cycling, which means more people are choosing healthier ways to travel. Scientists also saw more wildlife coming back to the city.
What did we learn from this article?
As the Earth gets warmer because of climate change, many cities will get hotter. We should look at what Medellin did and do similar things in our cities to make them cooler, greener, and healthier.
