13
Tackling the
heat
Smart planting:
some farmers are
planting more crops among trees
for shade to cope with the hotter,
drier climate. In cities, landscapers
are introducing drought-tolerant
flowers and shrubs in parks and
along roadsides that can cope with
warm, dry conditions.
Green walls and roofs:
a number of
cities are growing plants on walls
and roofs to absorb heat and help
control the temperature inside
buildings when it is hot. They also
absorb water and reduce run-off
during storms.
Plans to tackle
climate change
Many EU countries have already
prepared
to address
the problems climate change
causes. As different regions will face
different problems, these plans have
to be adapted to regional and local
situations. In agricultural areas,
for example, this might include
investing in storage facilities to
water crops in a drought, while in
cities it may mean creating more
parks to keep people cool during
heatwaves.
Preparing
for extreme
weather in
Copenhagen
In July 2011, it rained in
Copenhagen … but this was no
ordinary shower. Around 15cm of
rain fell in just two hours. The city’s
drains could not cope with the
volume of water and buildings and
roads were soon flooded. Two of
Copenhagen’s major hospitals were
threatened with closure because of
flooding and power cuts. The event
made the city’s leaders think about
drawing up a plan to protect the
city from future extreme weather
events. As a result, a Cloudburst
Management Plan has been
developed which will not only help
manage rainwater better in the
future but will also improve the
quality of city life. The scheme even
includes proposals to develop new
bicycle routes that also serve as
storm-water channels.
Taking action to prevent
floods can save lives and
money: each euro spent
on flood protection
could save six euros in
repair costs!
