Uploaded on 2015-11-25 by nearchouG

At my own place of residence, which is Paphos,Cyprus, I believe the main reason for having the heat island effect is due to the dark surface of the asphalt streets that run through the city, and also the lack of shading them. The reason that streets lack shading is because they are quite wide, usually 11metres + 2metres pavement on each side of the street = 15metres, and the buildings are maximum 5 storeys which does not exceed 18 metres by law of the local authorities (reason being high seismic activity of the area). Another reason that contributes to the lack of shading is the absence of trees along the streets for two main reasons: 1. Low rain fall, and 2. no urban scheme for planting trees along roads. City of Paphos ![enter image description here][1] Rural Paphos ![enter image description here][2] ---------- **3.If I could take part in the decision making process** of an initiative related to the UHI effect, I would have proposed the introduction of: 1. more green area in the city, 2. reconsider design and policy for streets 3. and an improved rain water collection system. Paphos is a city with very low population density (about 60,000 people in 400km2) which is mainly built without sufficient *green areas*. Therefore, my first proposition would be to introduce more green areas throughout the city not only to reduce the Heat Island effect, but also make the city more livable during the summer months. During summer the temperature is very high (35-45 degrees celsius), with a very high humidity percentage which makes it forbidden to walk in the city during daytime. When *reconsideration for design and policy regarding streets* is concerned, I would suggest that streets become narrower, and give perhaps 1 meter on each side to plant trees. Also, I would suggest to overlay the streets with a more sophisticated finishing material to reduce thermal gain. As above mentioned, Paphos has a very low rain fall and there are periods of draught, therefore, I would have invested more on a more efficient rain water management system to overcome this issue. ---------- **4.UHI effect concerning policy in Paphos.** Unfortunately, I know for a fact that our municipality/community has no policy or plans regarding the UHI effect. However, I have noticed that our community is starting to realise the need for green areas and the municipality as well as other NGO and individuals have started growing concern regarding this issue and started planting trees and creating green areas. [1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14484515149007463.jpg [2]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14484509292548369.jpg