Menorca heat: some neighbourhoods face greater risk

Heat does not hit every part of Menorca equally. From 16 to 23 September, the Public Health School of Menorca will examine the gap at the Lazareto in Maó, with a course on climate impact and community health.

People aged over 75, very young children and those with certain illnesses are especially exposed to extreme temperatures, according to Ana Ocaña Ortiz, a Fisabio researcher and one of the course coordinators. But the home and the neighbourhood also shape how hard a heat episode becomes.

Concrete streets and homes that cannot cool down

Areas with lots of sealed surfaces such as cement, and fewer trees, soil or other features that lower temperatures, can face greater heat strain. Not every household can keep its home at a suitable temperature during hot spells either.

That changes what energy poverty means. It is no longer only about being unable to heat a home in winter; rising temperatures also bring the problem of keeping it cool enough in summer.

Calls for public cool spaces

Advice during heatwaves often focuses on personal steps, including drinking water, avoiding the hottest hours and looking after vulnerable people. Ocaña says homes, neighbourhoods and towns must adapt too.

She argues that local people, technical professionals and political decision-makers should assess their surroundings together and help decide what changes are needed. That could reveal needs and habits missed by technical studies alone.

One example is climate refuges: cool places where people can take shelter. Ocaña says it is not enough simply to open air-conditioned rooms; planners also need to know which places people use and what would make them accessible and useful.

Participatory projects have found that some young people use supermarkets as informal cool spaces. Ocaña says this points to the need for public, free alternatives that match how people actually use such places. Municipal swimming pools and shared activities in cool spaces could also help prevent the isolation of those most at risk during heatwaves.

Topics: Health · Culture · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com