Nature -based approaches get space in cities as a means of facing global warming. Experts warn effective state actions and population education. This was the case of a climate refuge, created in 2024 in the center of Belo Horizonte by the local town hall.
The project was inspired by the connected places so called (places to cool): common spaces in cities around the world that work as islands of freshness, such as parks, gardens, sources, outdoor swimming pools and shaded areas, to host the population against heat.
These shelters are also known as structures that offer protection against disaster effects such as floods, hot waves, drought or storms. “They can be physical, as temporary or environmental shelters, as natural areas that help to mitigate the impact of climatic events”, explains Loyde Vieira, professor of environmental comfort at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism at Mackenzie Presbyterian University.
In the case of the capital of Minas Gerais, one of the main objectives was to provide free drinking water to the population in transit, especially in the face of frequent heat waves. On March 14, the city recorded the maximum temperature of the year, reaching 34.6 ° C, recorded the civil defense of the city. According to Maria Consuilato Oliveira, director of the environmental quality of the town hall of Belo Horizonte, the project was also designed to stimulate maintenance and plantation of urban trees.
Together with the softening of heat, there are other advantages: “These equipment improve the existence conditions of the trees and allow biodiversity in the city. The surface outflow of rainwater, breeding the drainage system, allows the arrangement of leisure time and permanent equipment and promoting urban embellishment. Also act the air quality trees and carbon diloside.”
Although it has worked for a few months, the environmental quality department does not yet have an exact number of how many citizens have benefited and how the initiative has an impact on the population on hot days. “Studies on positive impacts are performed and what can be said is that there was a penting question for free water to drink and the drinking fountain is constantly used”.
How the shelters work in practice
Climate shelters can have different functions, depending on local needs. There are structures oriented to floods such as flood parks and basins to contain rainwater, as well as spaces designed to face waves of heat, storms and dried.
“They can be refrigerated or wooded areas that reduce temperatures, as well as strong resistant to the wind and flood, often underground or protected by natural or artificial barriers. In the United States, for example, many houses have a basement so that people can take refuge during a hurricane”, explains Vieira.
According to the expert, there is a distinction between climatic shelters, which are emergency spaces for extreme events and so called urban oases, green areas planned to mitigate thermal impacts and improve the environment of the cities. In some Brazilian cities, the two functions overlap. “What can be seen in some Brazilian cities are areas that meet a double role: urban drainage and thermal cooling, as in the conservation of water springs,” says Loyde Vieira.
He cites the example of San Paolo, where neighborhoods such as Morumbi, one of the richest areas of the city, have areas for the conservation of rainwater. Already Paraisópolis, located on the outskirts, was occupied on waterways and records temperatures up to 12 ° C more, as well as suffering more floods and landslides.
Lara thefto, professor of city sciences at the University of Fortaleza and doctorate in urban planning at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, highlights that climatic shelters are designed to offer immediate thermal comfort to the population: “These spaces include confusion to generate efficient top systems, permeable for permeable flowers. Cooling.”
In addition to reducing the impact of extreme temperatures, these areas also play a social role by stimulating the coexistence of the community: “When well planned, these places not only ensure the protection of heat, but also promote the quality of life and public health”.
Main difficulties for implementation
Implementing climatic shelters in Brazil face economic, structural, political and social challenges, the experts have consulted. These obstacles make it more complex and dependent on a series of factors to adapt Brazilian cities to resilience models.
Among the economic difficulties, the high initial cost of construction of safe refuges, drainage systems and green spaces are distinguished, which limits the feasibility of these projects in the municipalities with closer budgets. In addition, the continuous maintenance of these structures requires resources that are often not available, making sustainability difficult over time. “The lack of coordinated planning can lead to the subuse or inefficiency of climatic shelters,” explains Vieira.
In structural terms, the scarcity of adequate land in densely populated urban areas such as San Paolo and Rio de Janeiro represents another obstacle. The lack of spaces available for the creation of climatic shelters and green areas compromises the planning of these solutions. The integration of drainage systems with cooling solutions also requires effective urban planning, which does not always occur.
In the political field, the discontinuity of projects with the exchange of governments is a reality. The implementation of lasting solutions to face climate change depends on the continuity of public policies, something that, according to experts, is difficult to achieve without a long -term commitment.
The lack of coordination between government levels, as well as administrative obstacles, makes it even more difficult to create climatic shelters in different cities. “Punctual actions are useful, but they are isolated and disconnected by a more participatory management and focused on making the city more resilient”, confirms Antoniel Fernandes, professor to the post -laurea program in geography at the Catholic Pontifical University of Minas Gerais (Pucas).
Another challenge lies in social resistance, especially in more vulnerable areas. Often the priorities of the population in these regions focus on basic issues such as housing building and safety. The commitment of the community in the planning and implementation process is essential for the success of these projects, but is often overlooked, with consequent solutions that do not meet the real local needs.
Finally, the concept of climatic justice emerges as a further challenge. It should be thought that climatic shelters benefit mainly the most vulnerable populations, but in many cities these communities are excluded from the projects.
Emergency solutions for cities
Given the increase in extreme weather events and the delay of many cities to become more resilient, emergency measures are essential to reduce impacts and protect the population. In this process, civil defense plays an essential role, acting at federal, state and municipal levels to ensure emergency support, explains Fernandes.
One of the recent initiatives implemented is the sending of valid notices to cell phones in risk areas. In Belo Horizonte, for example, these warnings say on strong rains and heat waves, allowing residents to take precautions. “This is essential for people to prepare and avoid dangerous situations,” says the teacher. In addition, the city has road closing plans in case of floods and constant monitoring to minimize damage.
Other approaches include nature -based solutions, inspired, supported or copied on natural models and aiming to achieve environmental, social and economic objectives at the same time. Thefts cites the urban appealing, green roofs and rain gardens as a means of mitigating climatic impacts: “These measures create colder microclymi, increase water absorption and improve urban drainage”. Cities such as Barcelona and Paris have adopted innovative projects such as climate shelters in libraries and schools, which offer shaded areas and access to drinking water.
The integration of urban infrastructures with environmental solutions is also essential. Fernandes underlines that urbanization should consider the conservation of green areas and waterways, avoiding excessive pipes of rivers: “We must integrate the water network in the city, rather than hiding it under access”.
Source: Terra
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