Global Cities Will Experience Falling Humidity as a Result of the Climate Crisis

There may never be a better time to drop your cavalier attitude towards issues pertaining to the environment, particularly if you live in urban areas. According to a recent study, urban regions around the world may likely experience a widespread drop in humidity as the climate changes.

As a footnote, the research also advances measures such as increasing urban vegetation and building green infrastructure for effectively controlling rising temperatures.

Temperatures Higher in Cities Than Rural Areas

The fact that temperatures are higher in cities than in rural areas is one that urban planners and scientists have known for several years. Infrastructural mainstays in cities such as concrete surfaces and dark asphalt are more receptive to radiation from the sun. Further, there are typically fewer trees and green vegetation in developed areas, a factor known as the “urban heat island effect.”

This can result in a rise of about 5C in cities than in rural areas. Nevertheless, as Lei Zhao, a scientist from the University of Illinois explains, the differences between rural and urban climates are broader. According to him, temperature is not the only factor, humidity is also included. A lot of urban climate variables are different from other landscapes.

Green Infrastructure to the Rescue

According to the study, a good way to check the effects of global warming is for countries to adopt the policy of setting green infrastructure in place. Trees and vegetation are very effective at reducing temperature by releasing water into the atmosphere which in turn cools down the air.

In already humid areas, the effects may not be readily apparent, however, it’s predicted that air in most non-coastal cities will become drier in the coming century.

An increase to the levels of urban vegetation will help combat global warming more effectively as this model is projected to make surface evaporation more efficient.