(Athens) Concrete everywhere, high population density, few green spaces: Athens, one of the hottest capitals in Europe, is a city particularly vulnerable to heat waves and which suffers from a lack of commitment to the environment, according to experts.
For more than a week, the Greek capital has been sweating profusely and the crushing heat occupies many conversations when, in the evening, the Athenians take advantage of a very relative night coolness on the terraces of the cafés.
The thermometer should still see red with maximums above 40 ° C expected this weekend, forcing the authorities to close the Acropolis from the middle of the day as well as certain large parks.
And the heat wave should continue until the end of the month, with “temperatures of more than 40 ° C for 6 to 7 days” in the capital, meteorologist Panagiotis Giannopoulos said on Friday.
In 2007, Athens and its more than 3 million inhabitants experienced a record heat of 44.8°C.
“With concrete and asphalt, cities become heat islands. In Athens there are very few green spaces to lower temperatures,” says Kostas Lagouvardos, research director at the Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development of the National Observatory of Athens.
“And the forests that surround the city are disappearing because of the fires,” he regrets.
Drawn by hills and rivers, the topography of Athens, however favorable to a softening of the climate, disappears under the building sites of concrete.
From the top of the Acropolis, the city stretches as far as the eye can see, a tangle of buildings and houses with only a few green spots here and there.
The center of Athens is thus the second most densely populated in Europe after Paris, according to Eurostat.
Buildings everywhere
“In Greece we build all the time and everywhere! This is the biggest problem”, summarizes the urban planner Aris Kalandides.
According to figures from the NGO WWF, there are 0.96 m2 of green space per inhabitant, when the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 9 m2.
With only 11% of its surface covered by trees, Athens is at the bottom of the pack of European capitals, according to the European Environment Agency.
“There are almost no more countryside around Athens, the periphery is eating away at and destroying everything. The economic interest takes precedence over the need for green spaces”, regrets Mr. Kalandides.
The lack of strategy and political will appear to be the main obstacles to a reversal of this trend, according to specialists.
In 2021, Athens has however appointed its first climate manager for the city responsible for implementing a strategy to adapt infrastructure and behavior to climate change.
This appointment was accompanied by a loan of 5 million euros from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
“Athens’ urban fabric is made up of dense constructions that cover 80% of the city’s surface. All this bitumen and concrete retain heat during heat waves,” the EIB noted in its report.
Among the projects launched since, the establishment of three “green corridors” in the city and better water management on the highest hill in Athens, Lycabettus.
Sacrificed trees
Nevertheless, some current urbanization projects run counter to environmental priorities.
Dozens of trees have been cut down for the construction of new metro stations.
On the site of the former Elliniko airport, a huge building complex will rise from the ground.
As for the “great promenade” planned in the center of Athens, with trees and benches, it has been under construction for three years.
“There is a lack of political planning and the commitment of the entire population, the involvement of all the players in society,” laments Iris Lykourioti, associate professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Thessaly.
“We are in a period where investment policies take precedence over environmental protection,” she regrets.
She points to a lack of information, education and awareness of subjects that are crucial for the future of the city, while the economic crisis has left a painful legacy in this area.
“Budget cuts have not only limited public services, but the aid plans (from Greece’s creditors) have also paved the way for the operation of Natura protected areas” throughout the country, adds the architect.