The Health Benefits of Urban Tree Planting城市种树对健康的好处

Planting more trees in urban areas to lower summertime temperatures could decrease deaths directly linked to hot weather and heatwaves by a third， researchers said.

Modelling found that increasing tree cover to 30 percent would shave off 0.4 degrees Celsius locally， on average， during hot summer months， they reported in The Lancet.

The study is the first to project the number of premature deaths due to higher temperatures in cities that could be prevented by additional tree cover， said Tamara Iungman， a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

研究人员称，在城市种植更多树木以降低夏季气温，可以将与炎热天气和热浪直接相关的死亡人数减少三分之一。

根据他们在《柳叶刀》杂志上的报告，建模发现，在炎热的夏季，将树木覆盖率增加到30%，当地平均气温可以降低0.4摄氏度。

巴塞罗那全球健康研究所研究员Tamara lungman说，这项研究首次预测了城市中因高温导致的过早死亡人数，而更多的树木覆盖可以防止这种情况的发生。

“We already know that high temperatures in urban environments are associated with negative health outcomes， such as cardiorespiratory failure and premature death，” Tamara lungman said in a statement.

“Our goal is to inform local policy and decision-makers about the benefits of strategically integrating green infrastructure into urban planning in order to promote more sustainable， resilient and healthy urban environments.”

Tamara lungman在一份声明中说：“我们已经知道，负面的健康结果，如心肺衰竭和过早死亡，与城市环境中的高温有关。

“我们的目标是让当地政策决策者了解将绿色基础设施战略性地纳入城市规划的好处，以促进更可持续、更有弹性和更健康的城市环境。”

Cities record higher temperatures than surrounding suburbs or countryside due to the so-called urban heat island effect.

This extra heat is caused primarily by a lack of vegetation， exhaust from air conditioning systems， along with dark-hued asphalt and building materials that absorb warmth.

Climate change has already amplified the problem. In 2022， Europe saw its hottest summer on record.

由于所谓的城市热岛效應，城市的气温比周边的郊区或乡村要高。

这种额外的热量主要是由植被的缺乏、空调系统排放的废气、深色沥青和吸收热量的建筑材料造成的。

气候变化已经加剧了这个问题。2022年，欧洲经历了有史以来最热的夏天。

Health Benefits

Heatwaves around the world are seeing record-breaking peaks， and have increased in duration in recent decades.

Climate models project that heat-related illness and death will present a bigger burden to health services within a decade.

“This is an important piece of research，” commented Laurence Wainwright， a lecturer at the University of Oxfords Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment.

“Urban tree planting， on the right scale， in the right places， and under certain other conditions， likely leads to a reduction in heat-related deaths in many urban areas.”

Earlier studies have shown that green spaces can have additional health benefits such as reducing cardiovascular disease， dementia and poor mental health， as well as improving cognitive functioning of children and the elderly.

对健康的好处

近几十年来，世界各地的热浪出现了破纪录的高峰，持续时间也有所增加。

气候模型预测，与热相关的疾病和死亡将在十年内给公共医疗带来更大的负担。

“这是一项重要的研究。”牛津大学史密斯企业与环境学院讲师Laurence Wainwright评论道。

“在适当的规模、合适的地点和某些其他条件下，城市种树可能会使许多城市地区与热有关的死亡人数减少。”

早期的研究表明，绿色空间可以带来额外的健康益处，如减少心血管疾病、痴呆和心理亚健康，以及改善儿童和老年人的认知功能。

Word Bank

project /pr?'d?ekt/ v. 预测；推想

The unemployment rate has been projected to fall.

integrate /'?nt?ɡre?t/ v. 使合并；成为一体

absorb /?b's??b/ v. 吸收（液体、气体等）

The cream is easily absorbed into the skin.