Uploaded on 2015-10-23 by ricardoavella

**Q2.** Searching through the internet for information relative to the UHI effect in Caracas, I found out that there is an eminent geographer called Karenia Córdova in my university (UCV), that has been studying the urban heat islands during the past years. Prof. Córdova saw that there are marked temperature differences between the east and the west of the city, and these differences have to do with social and class issues. Let me explain myself... Caracas is a city with 4 million inhabitants, and 1.2 million of these inhabitants live in slums: informal settlements also know as *favelas* where most of the lower-income citizens live. Most of these slums tend to be in the west and the southwest, and they are usually VERY DENSE and without any kind of public spaces or vegetation; the shacks that are built there are usually made of bricks and aluminum or tin roofs that tend to absorb heat and increase the surface temperatures. The average temperature in these parts of the city, during the 2001-2010 period, was between 28° and 34°C. The more "formal" part of the city, located in the east and the southeast of the valley, is where the middle and upper class citizens tend to live. These parts of the city have lots of vegetation and some green public spaces, thus helping to reduce the surface temperatures. The average temperature in the east and the southwest of the city, during the 2001-2010 period, was between 24° and 27°C. As you can see, there are differences of 7°C between the east and the west of Caracas (drastical differences!). She also found out that 2001 and 2003 where the hottest years in the 2001-2010 period, and that the average surface temperatures in 2003 where, in general, 5°C hotter compared to those in 2001. ![https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455615622520057.jpg][1] Petare, one of the biggest slums in Latin America ![https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455615871657496.jpg][2] Altamira, an example of the "formal" city ![https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455616118170192.jpg][3] Plaza Altamira ![https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455616354558161.jpg][4] The valley of Caracas, seen from the Ávila mountain ![https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455616905055028.jpg][5] Galipán, a rural settlement up in the Ávila mountain **Q3.** I would increase the amount of vegetation and public spaces in the city. I would also change city ordinances in order to encourage architects to make more climate-friendly design decisions. But maybe the most urgent task would be to improve the quality of life in slums, by creating public spaces, planting vegetation and transforming the architecture of the shacks (tin roofs, for example, increase surface temperatures). **Q4.** Unfortunately no. But I found out that Prof. Karenia Córdova is studying the impact of urban heat islands in Caracas. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455615622520057.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455615871657496.jpg [3]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455616118170192.jpg [4]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455616354558161.jpg [5]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14455616905055028.jpg