A: Adaptations to increasing temperatures, urban heat island and heat waves

Specific target
Enhance microclimatic conditions in Prague and reduce the negative impacts of extreme temperatures, heat waves and urban heat island on Prague inhabitants

A brief description of projected climate change impacts
In Prague, mean annual air temperature has for long term been increasing and climate models project an increase in the tropical day number (Tmax > 30 0C) as well as in tropical night number (Tmin > 20 0C). For more details, see the study Analysis and projection of climate change impacts in Prague, CzechGlobe (2016) available at www.portalzp.eu.

Vulnerability and challenges
Increase in vulnerability of citizens, as shown in Chapter 3.1., can be expected particularly in the Prague downtown (i.e. Prague 1, Prague 2, Prague 3, Prague 4, Prague 7, Prague 10 and Prague 11 city districts). At the same time, higher sensitivity to heat wave impacts is more pronounced there, driven by 20 higher proportion of the population older than 65 years and of built-up areas within the individual quarters. Suitably selected and well-located adaptation measures can enhance heat comfort, mitigate adverse impacts on human health and thus improve human well-being also in other city´s densely built-up areas.

Proposed measures
Below proposed measures A.4.1 to A.4.7. for adaptation to increase in temperatures, urban heat island and heat waves are interlinked and positively influence also meeting the Specific target B (Reduce extreme hydrological event impacts, i.e. torrential floods, floods and longterm droughts on the Capital City of Prague´s territory as well as in the adjacent landscape in the Prague Metropolitan Area).

A.1 Enhance the city´s microclimatic conditions by multi-functional green infrastructure
A.2 Take into account climate change adaptations in planning and background study elaboration
A.3 Establish and restore vegetation components in the city
A.4 Provide unified street greenery and alleys management
A.5 Create the conditions for suburban and urban agriculture development as a climate change adaptation
A.6 Enhance ecological stability/ecosystem health and self-restoration/recovery ability in the landscape
A.7 Use technological and ecosystem measures to reduce solar radiation accumulation in built-up areas