Page 255 - Çevre Şehir ve İklim Dergisi İngilizce - Özel Sayı

Aynur Güneş Yilmaz - Onur Beyazoğlu
Bayram Hopur - Emre Yavuz

3. The Role of Afforestation in Mitigating the Urban Heat
Island Effect

The negative impacts of urban heat islands manifest in cities through rising
temperatures, decreased air quality, increased energy consumption, and
threats to public health. One of the most effective and sustainable solutions to
mitigate these effects is afforestation efforts. Trees serve as a natural cooling
system in urban areas by providing shade and reducing temperatures through
evaporation. Additionally, by sequestering carbon in the air, trees play a critical
role in reducing greenhouse gases and combating climate change.
The benefits of afforestation in this context go beyond thermal comfort
and energy savings; it also enhances biodiversity, reduces air pollution, and
positively impacts public health.
Especially trees strategically placed on the south and west facades protect
buildings from excessive sunlight, optimizing energy consumption and making
living spaces more comfortable. For this reason, afforestation offers both an
environmentally friendly and long-term solution to reducing the urban heat
island effect. At this point, we need to take a closer look at the multifaceted
impacts of afforestation and how crucial it is as an element in urban planning
(Akpınar and Külekçi, 2017).
In order to address the Urban Heat Island Effect, several solutions have
been developed, including the use of green roofs, cool roofs, green wall
applications, and reflective or light-colored surface materials to create albedo
effects, and the establishment of cool streets, parks, gardens, and green belt
afforestation areas in city centers and surrounding zones are also among the
effective measures. However, afforestation is one of the most effective and
sustainable methods for reducing the Urban Heat Island effect (Akpınar and
Külekçi, 2017). (Figure 6).

Figure 6: A thermal camera image of Royal Parade, across from the Queen Victoria
Market in Melbourne. (The Guardian, 2017)

242 Journal of Environment, Urban and Climate