Uploaded on 2017-03-16 by Maria Jose Jimenez Echavarria

2. Which are the main UHI effects that you can identify in your area? The temperatures are getting higher as the nature is being reduced and there are more cars, the buses are really old so they contaminate a lot, there aren’t initiatives to have electric cars and neither to have other resources for energy as the alternative energy methods. Medellin used to be called the city of the eternal spring because it was always fresh, windy and sunny which made it a really comfortable city, with temperatures of 23-25ºC, but now with contamination and global warming and UHI effects, the temperatures are high and it is hot, with temperatures of 28-30ºC. Comparison between the city and rural areas: (image of the city is taken by me, but the image of the rural area isn't mine) http://www.suenosytierras.com/actualidad/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/DJI00005.jpg Medellín is a city that has been growing a lot in the last years, it has grown to the north, south, east and west, so much that its growth has reached the near rural areas, making them more of a space of country-weekend houses for the rich. Although this has been the growth, it also has been growing to the sky, with high buildings as seen in the picture, but has left aside the streets and public spaces, and right now that is whats happening in the rural areas too. The two of them have nature, but Medellin is getting scarce of this resource every day because nobody cares, and with the development of the rurality, the destruction of nature is also a everyday phenomenon, that is affecting our rivers and animales, and therefore is affecting the city. 3. Which are the measures you would propose? I would propose alternative energy methods, using materials that can reduce the UHI effect as for example the pervious concrete. Change the buses to ones that are modern, they could be electric, and organice the routes, as in here, there are multiple buses that go to same place and have the exactly same route, I would change that, and also it would be more efficient as there wouldn’t be as much traffic jams. I would propose recycling, because we don't do it as much in Medellìn, and not only paper recycling, but also with the food garbage to make compost. I would plant more trees and vegetation and organice the bicycle lanes to make them more secure. 4. Is UHI effect concerning policy making in your area? I really don’t know of any policies in my city, because I really think that the government here knows about the UHI effect. The only thing they are doing, and have been doing for the past 10 years, more or less, is a thing called “pico y placa”. This is a rule for the usage of cars, in other words, at certain times of the day (7:00 am to 8:30 am and 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm) you can’t use your car. This is assigned by the last number of your car plate, each number has a restriction 2 days per week. But this policy is only to reduce the traffic jams and it doesn’t really help.