The financial cost amounts to CHF180 per adult per year for the summer effect of heat islands, according to the study released by the federal technology institute EPFL in Lausanne.
“Our research shows that heat islands aren’t just about people feeling too hot in the summer,” says Gabriele Manoli, the study’s corresponding author. “They also have significant adverse effects on human health, leading to increased cardiovascular and respiratory risks, for instance, and reducing overall life expectancy.”
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Climate change: Swiss cities combat heat islands
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Local authorities across Switzerland are planting trees, replacing asphalt surfaces with green ones or installing misting systems.
The EPFL research, published in the journal Nature Communications, analysed the situation in 85 European cities. Carried out over three years, it also takes into account the protective effect of heat islands during the winter, an aspect that has been little explored until now, as the university also emphasises in its press release.
The scientists found that, for example, the urban heat island of Geneva can cause four additional heat-related deaths per 100,000 residents per year – but can prevent 3.4 cold-related deaths.
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