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Follow Daegu’s path to fight the summer heat

Published: 18 Aug. 2024, 20:14

Daegu, close to the southern coast, was infamous for its sultry and sweltering heat during the summer. But that has changed dramatically. The southern city’s metropolitan area has felt less steamy compared to other parts of the country, which are enduring one of the hottest and longest heat waves this summer.

On Aug. 4, when the mercury in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), the maximum temperature in Daegu hit 37.8 degrees, the 15th highest across the country. The weather chart, over the last 10 years, at the Korea Meteorological Agency has placed Gwangju as the hottest metropolitan city and Daegu at 11th. Contrary to the long-held belief, Daegu is no longer the hottest place in Korea during summer.

The area has become cooler thanks to its government’s uninterrupted campaign to plant trees in the heart of the city. Daegu sits in a basin surrounded by mountains which trap hot and humid air. To make matters worse, the city suffered from a lack of greenery. To lessen the stupefying island heat effect, the city government and the Korea Forest Service jointly carried out an ambitious program to create woods across 48 hectares (119 acres) in as many as 38 locations around the city from 2019 to 2022.

Trees release moisture into the atmosphere to cool and freshen the air, helping to boost air circulation around the city, lower heat and clear up fine dust. Forest authorities claim that those city woods can create wind tunnels that reduce daily temperatures by up to 7 degrees Centigrade (about 13 degrees Fahrenheit) during summer. Trees planted on the streets and in other inner city areas of the city have also helped to tame the notorious summer heat. As it turned out, nearly 240,000 trees were planted along the roads of Daegu in 2023 alone, tripling the 1995 tally.

Daegu should set an example for other cities in the country. Climate change cannot be stopped, but its damage can be reduced if regional governments make efforts for their residents. As summers are expected to be hotter than they have been in the past, urban areas require more trees. Singapore and metropolitan areas around the globe are no different. They have been increasing the greenery of their inner cities to mitigate their sweltering summer heat and deepening pollution. We hope that other major cities in Korea also launch a green campaign to make our surroundings cleaner and more relaxing.