Two Hungarian cities where local young people are shaping a sustainable future

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 10. 04. 11:49

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Flash floods, unprecedented storms, drought and extreme heat waves, scorching urban concrete sea in summer. In winter, black smoke billowing from chimneys, air pollution, gas and electricity bills that are difficult to manage, family houses that cannot be heated. Such and similar problems affect domestic settlements, and with climate change they will be even more present in our lives. WWF Hungary joined forces with two Hungarian settlements, Ajka and Békéscsaba, in order to identify these challenges and find responses. The way to the solution is through local action plans, but above all through the residents and young people of the cities.

The effects of climate change are becoming more and more serious, especially in cities, where heat waves, extreme weather events and water shortages pose increasing challenges to municipalities and the population. This summer, the urban heat island effect during heat waves reached extreme levels throughout Europe and in domestic settlements as well. The temperature of the inner-city areas was often 5-10 °C higher than that of the surrounding rural and suburban areas. The heat lasting for weeks was associated with significantly increased energy consumption and health risks caused by heat stress.

Municipalities have tried to mitigate the situation by, among other things, increasing shade-giving green spaces and installing water sprinkler stations, but these challenges have highlighted the need to rethink long-term urban planning strategies and speed up their implementation.