Study Finds Trees Cool Cities 0.27 Degrees, With Benefits Uneven
The study found trees offset nearly half of urban heat, but just under 9% of cities in the poorest countries get that level of relief.
- On Wednesday, a Nature Communications study reported that tree cover cools cities by an average of 0.27°F , based on researchers analyzing nearly 9,000 cities using satellite data and weather stations.
- Sharp disparities exist in cooling benefits: nearly 40% of wealthy nations' cities experience at least 0.45°F cooling, while under 9% in the poorest countries receive similar relief, according to study lead author Rob McDonald.
- Residents in Dakar, Senegal; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Kuwait City; and Amman, Jordan, receive essentially no cooling from trees due to minimal cover, leaving over 15 million people without tree-based relief.
- McDonald warned that trees cannot replace climate action, as limitations in water and land mean they could reduce future urban heating by at most 20%, stating "Trees won't save us from climate change."
- University of Michigan environment dean Jonathan Overpeck noted that while trees offer buffering benefits, only transitioning away from fossil fuels can halt climate change, urging cities to address inequitable tree distribution.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Trees counter half of the world’s urban heating, study finds
Without the cooling effect of trees, the urban heat island effect across the world’s cities would be twice as hot, a new study by The Nature Conservancy found.Trees in major cities worldwide mitigate nearly half of the heat effect generated by man-made surfaces such as roads, buildings, and car parks, which absorb and re-radiate solar heat, causing cities to run hotter than their surrounding rural areas. More than 900 million city dwellers, the …
Urban trees cool the world’s cities more than we thought – but we can’t rely on them alone
Oliver Strewe/The Image Bank/GettyCities and towns are usually 1–3°C hotter than the surrounding countryside, because asphalt, concrete and brick absorb heat from the sun and radiate it slowly. Some cities can be as much as 7°C hotter. This effect is known as the urban heat island. This can be dangerous, especially in hot countries. In very hot conditions, dehydration and heat exhaustion become real risks. If it gets too hot, it can be lethal. T…
Trees halve urban heat island effect globally but unequal benefits only modestly mitigate climate-change warming - Nature Communications
Although tree cover reduces the urban heat island, no global estimate quantifies air temperature reductions by contemporary or future tree cover, currently and with climate change. Here, we estimate these reductions for all 8,919 large urban areas. Current urban tree cover mitigates 41–49% of the maximum potential air-temperature urban heat island that would occur in the absence of tree canopy. Tree canopy reduces summer air temperature by a pop…
Study concludes trees counter half the world's urban heating, but not in the places that need it most
Trees are countering nearly half the urban heating from pavement and buildings in the world's cities, but they're not doing enough cooling in hotter, poorer cities where it's needed the most as the world warms, a new study found.
Study says trees counter half the world’s urban heating, but not in the places that need it most - The Boston Globe
Tree cover globally cools nearly half of the warming from built-up cities, but it’s doing it more in richer, cooler areas and less in hotter, poorer areas where it’s needed most.
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