Here are five ways for dry, arid cities to cool down

Green roofs and walls:

This involves selecting plants that maximise shade and shelter, reduce noise and glare, and limit dust and air pollution. The plants can be woven into roof or wall designs in arid climates.

Fog and dew harvesting:

New technology allows nets to catch and extract large amounts of water from dew and fog, even in arid environments with low levels of humidity. That is done in Morocco and is planned for Dubai.

Cool pavements:

Small tweaks to existing pavement designs can cool a city rapidly, the report found. LA has begun coating its streets with a special paint, CoolSeal, to cut the heat, with initial results showing a decrease in ambient temperatures of about 6.6 degrees Celsius.

Energy-efficient buildings:

The Al Bahr Towers in Abu Dhabi have a modular shading system that opens and closes to self-shade as the sun moves around the building. The system is predicted to reduce the solar energy entering the building by 20 per cent, according to the report.

Open-air living:

Making urban public spaces more attractive and cool could have the knock-on effect of improving the social and economic success of a city, said Arup. By cooling down urban centres, cities can promote walking, socialising, outdoor art and activities that improve well-being and promote a more open-air lifestyle.