Taking lead on heat

Darwin can pioneer city cooling

DARWIN could become a world leader in heat mitigation for cities of its climate type by implementing a range of innovative cooling strategies, including green infrastructure and water-sensitive urban design, according to a pair of new reports.

In sister studies delivered through the CSIRO’s Darwin Living Lab project and released this week, researchers used land surface temperature mapping to determine Darwin’s hottest areas, and explored the best heat mitigation actions for the city’s “wet-dry tropical climate” based on those used in climactically similar cities, such as in Florida.

The reports found Darwin’s thermal “hot spots” included new housing developments on the city edges, industrial areas, roadways, wharf areas, sports grounds and the airport, and rural areas in the dry season.

They identified parts of Darwin City, Fannie Bay, Ludmilla, Coconut Grove, Tiwi, The Narrows, Marrara and Berrimah as residential areas of high heat-health vulnerability, where locals are more likely to be exposed to hotter temperatures and have a higher risk of heat-related illness.

The top heat mitigation strategies included green roofs and walls and public green space, water-sensitive urban design and water features, cool buildings, cool roads and paths, and better public education and awareness.

Lead researcher Dr Brenda Lin said there was little research on heat mitigation in wet-dry tropical climates.

“It’s tropical, but it’s not always raining, it’s not always humid — this makes it more challenging to find naturebased solutions because the water supply isn’t there in the long dry season,” she said.

“The good news is this also presents an opportunity for Darwin to become a world leader in the science and innovation of heat mitigation among cities with a wet-dry tropical climate.”

City of Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said the reports would provide a roadmap for council efforts to address climate change.