{"id":31259,"date":"2024-06-27T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swecobelgium.be\/blog\/urban-insight-hoe-hittegolfbestendig-zijn-europese-steden\/"},"modified":"2025-03-18T09:15:29","modified_gmt":"2025-03-18T08:15:29","slug":"urban-insight-hoe-hittegolfbestendig-zijn-europese-steden","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.swecobelgium.be\/en\/news\/urban-insight-hoe-hittegolfbestendig-zijn-europese-steden\/","title":{"rendered":"Urban Insight – How heat resilient are European cities?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n
\n
\n

Share on: <\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n
\n\t
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Europe as the fastest warming continent, faces rising temperatures and heat-related mortality rates due to climate change. 2023 saw a record number of days with extreme heat. Sweco\u2019s analysis of 24 European cities highlights the urgent need for heat wave mitigation and resilience \u2013 through digital innovation<\/a>, nature-based solutions<\/a> and green-blue infrastructure, and designing high-performing buildings.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Download the report<\/a><\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n
\n\t
\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Heat striking hard in Europe<\/h2>\n

The European State of the Global Climate 2023 report shows that Europe is the continent where warming is occurring most rapidly, with temperatures rising approximately twice as fast as the global average.The Urban Heat Island, UHI, effect exacerbates this issue, leading to significantly faster surface warming in cities compared to rural areas. These extreme heat events pose significant risks to public health, energy infrastructure<\/a>, and economic productivity in urban areas.<\/p>\n

Despite these risks, heat-related concerns are often overlooked in cities’ climate plans.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Analysing cities climate resilience<\/h2>\n

To discover more about the readiness of European cities in addressing heatwaves, Sweco conducted a study of adaptation and resilience practices across 24 European cities, and six primary case study cities, analysing climate resilience<\/a> policies and heatwave data. All of these cities are set to experience at least double the number of heatwave days in 2100 compared with 2020.<\/p>\n

For example, Brussels sees city temperatures up to 8\u00b0C higher than surrounding rural areas. Moderate heat stress days in Brussels are expected to rise by 150% from 2020 to 2100, adding nine more days annually.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"heath\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Photo Credit: This map shows Days a year with moderate heat stress (expressed in d\/yr) over the urban area of Brussels in 2030, according to the scenario 2020 climate policies. About the data: Model UrbClim (De Ridder et al., 2015), Source : Souverijns et al., in prep. Spatial resolution : 0.001 \u00d7 0.001\u00b0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/figure>\n

Now it\u2019s time European cities level up their heat policy, by implementing new methods that help cool cities off. It can be done, and there is an array of solutions to this.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S\u00e9verine Hermand, Climate Resilience<\/a> expert en co-writer of the report<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Need for heat strategies<\/h2>\n

Insights from the analysis highlight the need for comprehensive heatwave response strategies. While some progress has been made, there is still a gap in urban heatwave adaptation policies, especially concerning vulnerable populations. This is compounded by a lack of detailed data and vulnerability mapping across cities, hindering monitoring and evaluation of existing adaptation policies.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Sweco\u2019s key recommendations in the report:
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n