Green spaces provide substantial but unequal urban cooling globally

Yuxiang Li; Jens Christian Svenning; Weiqi Zhou; Kai Zhu; Jesse F. Abrams; Timothy M. Lenton; William J. Ripple; Zhaowu Yu; Shuqing N. Teng; Robert R. Dunn; Chi Xu

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51355-0

Green spaces provide substantial but unequal urban cooling globally

Yuxiang Li, Jens Christian Svenning, Weiqi Zhou, Kai Zhu, Jesse F. Abrams, Timothy M. Lenton, William J. Ripple, Zhaowu Yu, Shuqing N. Teng^*, Robert R. Dunn^*, Chi Xu^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Biology - Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO)

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Climate warming disproportionately impacts countries in the Global South by increasing extreme heat exposure. However, geographic disparities in adaptation capacity are unclear. Here, we assess global inequality in green spaces, which urban residents critically rely on to mitigate outdoor heat stress. We use remote sensing data to quantify daytime cooling by urban greenery in the warm seasons across the ~500 largest cities globally. We show a striking contrast, with Global South cities having ~70% of the cooling capacity of cities in the Global North (2.5 ± 1.0 °C vs. 3.6 ± 1.7 °C). A similar gap occurs for the cooling adaptation benefits received by an average resident in these cities (2.2 ± 0.9 °C vs. 3.4 ± 1.7 °C). This cooling adaptation inequality is due to discrepancies in green space quantity and quality between cities in the Global North and South, shaped by socioeconomic and natural factors. Our analyses further suggest a vast potential for enhancing cooling adaptation while reducing global inequality.

Original language	English
Article number	7108
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	15
ISSN	2041-1723
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51355-0
Publication status	Published - 2 Sept 2024

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title = "Green spaces provide substantial but unequal urban cooling globally",

abstract = "Climate warming disproportionately impacts countries in the Global South by increasing extreme heat exposure. However, geographic disparities in adaptation capacity are unclear. Here, we assess global inequality in green spaces, which urban residents critically rely on to mitigate outdoor heat stress. We use remote sensing data to quantify daytime cooling by urban greenery in the warm seasons across the ~500 largest cities globally. We show a striking contrast, with Global South cities having ~70% of the cooling capacity of cities in the Global North (2.5 ± 1.0 °C vs. 3.6 ± 1.7 °C). A similar gap occurs for the cooling adaptation benefits received by an average resident in these cities (2.2 ± 0.9 °C vs. 3.4 ± 1.7 °C). This cooling adaptation inequality is due to discrepancies in green space quantity and quality between cities in the Global North and South, shaped by socioeconomic and natural factors. Our analyses further suggest a vast potential for enhancing cooling adaptation while reducing global inequality.",

author = "Yuxiang Li and Svenning, {Jens Christian} and Weiqi Zhou and Kai Zhu and Abrams, {Jesse F.} and Lenton, {Timothy M.} and Ripple, {William J.} and Zhaowu Yu and Teng, {Shuqing N.} and Dunn, {Robert R.} and Chi Xu",

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AU - Li, Yuxiang

AU - Svenning, Jens Christian

AU - Zhou, Weiqi

AU - Zhu, Kai

AU - Abrams, Jesse F.

AU - Lenton, Timothy M.

AU - Ripple, William J.

AU - Yu, Zhaowu

AU - Teng, Shuqing N.

AU - Dunn, Robert R.

AU - Xu, Chi

PY - 2024/9/2

Y1 - 2024/9/2

N2 - Climate warming disproportionately impacts countries in the Global South by increasing extreme heat exposure. However, geographic disparities in adaptation capacity are unclear. Here, we assess global inequality in green spaces, which urban residents critically rely on to mitigate outdoor heat stress. We use remote sensing data to quantify daytime cooling by urban greenery in the warm seasons across the ~500 largest cities globally. We show a striking contrast, with Global South cities having ~70% of the cooling capacity of cities in the Global North (2.5 ± 1.0 °C vs. 3.6 ± 1.7 °C). A similar gap occurs for the cooling adaptation benefits received by an average resident in these cities (2.2 ± 0.9 °C vs. 3.4 ± 1.7 °C). This cooling adaptation inequality is due to discrepancies in green space quantity and quality between cities in the Global North and South, shaped by socioeconomic and natural factors. Our analyses further suggest a vast potential for enhancing cooling adaptation while reducing global inequality.

AB - Climate warming disproportionately impacts countries in the Global South by increasing extreme heat exposure. However, geographic disparities in adaptation capacity are unclear. Here, we assess global inequality in green spaces, which urban residents critically rely on to mitigate outdoor heat stress. We use remote sensing data to quantify daytime cooling by urban greenery in the warm seasons across the ~500 largest cities globally. We show a striking contrast, with Global South cities having ~70% of the cooling capacity of cities in the Global North (2.5 ± 1.0 °C vs. 3.6 ± 1.7 °C). A similar gap occurs for the cooling adaptation benefits received by an average resident in these cities (2.2 ± 0.9 °C vs. 3.4 ± 1.7 °C). This cooling adaptation inequality is due to discrepancies in green space quantity and quality between cities in the Global North and South, shaped by socioeconomic and natural factors. Our analyses further suggest a vast potential for enhancing cooling adaptation while reducing global inequality.

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JO - Nature Communications

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Green spaces provide substantial but unequal urban cooling globally

Abstract

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