Vegetation cover as a tool for climate resilience in urban areas

Abstract

The invasion of the asphalt and concrete with the mineralization generalized by urban zones to the detriment of the vegetation necessitate excessive heat during summer time in the Mediterranean area cities and more generally in the warm climates increase the famous effect which is the heat island aggravated by climate changes within the framework of the global reheating of the planet. The objective of the present work is to put in evidence the effects quantified by the vegetal cover on the improvement of the thermal comfort of the urban micro-climate on a district scale within Mediterranean regional climatic context with its appropriate specificities in terms of climatic values, and this via the presentation of the results of the experimental work issued from two sets of site measurements of two different urban areas in Jijel city. The measurement results which confirm the significant contribution of vegetal cover in the improvement of the urban microclimate should be an important element to integrate at the first stage of projection and conception of urban spaces within our cities and neighborhoods. Which will contribute to modify the micro-climate of cities and reduce energy consumption in buildings, thus minimizing the pressure exercised on its raw material in this particular case the environment.