Climate shelters

Climate shelters are a place of refuge for populations that seek shelter from extreme climate events exacerbated by the effects of urban heat islands. They include cooling centers, but also encompass parks and other outdoor spaces designed to provide a harbor for cooler temperatures than surrounding areas. Several cities have designed programs to implement urban climate shelters.

Purpose

Climate shelters are essential urban facilities aimed at facilitating adaptation to extreme weather events, particularly heat waves, which have been increasingly linked to elevated mortality rates.^[1] These shelters, whether situated indoors or outdoors, are designed to maintain a safe and comfortable temperature for individuals vulnerable to extreme weather conditions.^[1]

Benefits

Climate shelters offer crucial protection for communities vulnerable to climate-related disasters like floods, storms, and extreme temperatures.^[2] These designs not only reduce the risk of damage but also prove cost-effective in the long run by preventing losses.^[2] For economically disadvantaged communities, access to affordable resilient housing is particularly vital, as it helps safeguard their homes and livelihoods.^[2]

Innovative solutions, often identified through competitions, have shown that even simple and low-cost design features can significantly enhance the resilience of homes.^[2] Moreover, both qualitative and quantitative analyses consistently demonstrate that investments in resilient housing yield high benefit-cost ratios across various scenarios.^[2] This emphasizes the economic justification for prioritizing such initiatives.

They remain a crucial component of broader climate adaptation strategies, offering tangible benefits in terms of risk reduction, cost savings, and community resilience.^[2] By investing in resilient housing, we not only protect lives and property but also contribute to sustainable development and climate resilience in vulnerable communities.^[2]

Challenges

Despite the clear advantages, barriers to accessing resilient housing persist, primarily due to challenges in securing affordable financing and ensuring builders are adequately trained and aware of resilient design principles.^[3] Addressing these barriers is essential to ensure that vulnerable populations can benefit from the protection offered by resilient shelters.^[3]

Climate shelters face numerous challenges, stemming primarily from the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of climate change itself.^[3] Firstly, there's the issue of design and construction - shelters must be resilient to extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, or wildfires, while also being adaptable to changing conditions over time.^[3] This demands innovative engineering solutions and materials that can withstand harsh environmental conditions. Secondly, there's the logistical challenge of placement and maintenance.^[3] Identifying suitable locations for shelters involves complex considerations of geography, population density, and vulnerability to climate risks.^[3] Additionally, maintaining shelters in remote or disaster-prone areas can be costly and resource-intensive.^[3] Moreover, ensuring equitable access to shelters for marginalized communities poses another significant challenge, requiring proactive policies and strategies to address socio-economic disparities. Finally, there's the overarching challenge of funding and political will, as the implementation of climate shelters often requires substantial investment and long-term commitment from governments and other stakeholders.^[3]

It is difficult for cities with Climate Shelter programs to ensure their services are accessible to all populations, especially those without adequate structures or parks nearby in which to construct shelters. In Barcelona, the organization Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgent Care Centre (CUESB) oversees the city's social services pertaining to heat-related events.^[4] If risk is at a maximum, CUESB is able to transport vulnerable populations to areas where they can obtain access to climate shelters.^[4]

Through the lens of intersectional climate justice, including surveys conducted within the climate-exposed community of La Prosperitat, it has been revealed that the current climate shelters may not fully meet the needs and expectations of the most vulnerable populations.^[3] Marginalized groups face intersecting vulnerabilities that often go unaddressed, primarily due to disparities in access to coping mechanisms compounded by their social positions.^[3]

Notably, low-income residents and individuals originating from Global South countries are disproportionately affected by housing inadequacies and energy poverty, rendering them the most susceptible and least equipped to cope with extreme temperatures.^[3] Furthermore, women exhibit heightened sensitivity to climate impacts and express greater concerns regarding present and future risks.^[3]

References