Improving the distribution of green spaces in Barcelona could prevent early deaths every 178, according to the study

Every third street in the city of Barcelona could possibly prevent up to 178 early deaths every year. In months in which heat waves occur, urban trees and gardens would help prevent five temperature -related deaths. These are the most important conclusions of a study carried out by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGLOBAL) on the health effect published in the magazine Environment International.

It is known that green spaces are associated with a number of advantages for physical and mental health and well -being, including a decrease in premature mortality. In addition, urban trees and vegetation offer shadow areas and help combat the effects of urban heat islands.

For this reason, a team of Isglobal was presented with the effects that would have the comprehensive implementation of the Green Corridors plan on the mortality of the adult population of Barcelona in relation to two variables: the percentage of the urban surface, which Green rooms and the green rooms are devoted and dedicated to the ambient temperature. In its theoretical formulation, the plan of the green corridors presented that every third street in the city would become a green corridor.

The team took in 2019 as a reference year before a hypothetical implementation of the plan. Then they received the mortality data for this year and for the city of Barcelona from two sources: the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idecat) and the National Statistics Institute (INE). The percentage of the green areas in the city was obtained from certain maps of the European Environment Agency (EEA).

After the forecasts described in the Green Corridors project, they estimated that the intervention would lead to an increase of 7% or 15% in the green surface of any street or intersection depending on the width.

In order to estimate the number of avoidable deaths as a result of the planned increases in the green space, they used earlier scientific studies to quantify this relationship.

3.64% increase in the green space

The results show that the creation of green corridors throughout the city would mean an increase in the area by 3.64%, which is devoted to green spaces, of the 7.3%, which was 10.9% in 2019. This increase would have the potential to prevent early deaths a year, or what are the same: 13 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

“Barcelona is a compact city with a challenge in relation to Isglobal researchers and the study.

“Although the increase in green spaces we appreciate is modestly modestly because it does not reach 4% and the city is still far from the recommended 25%, the effect on health is significant. This is due to the planning of corridors Just distribution of these rooms in the city, ”she adds.

Five heat -related deaths would be avoided

At the same time, the team carried out a second study on the health effect that related to the heat -related mortality. With the help of various models, they estimated that the expected increase in the area dedicated to green rooms could lead to a reduction in the average temperature of 0.05 ° C and a reduction of 0.42 ° C in some parts of the city.

As soon as these figures were preserved and the relationship between temperature exposure and mortality in previous scientific studies was used, they estimated that in a hypothetical barcelona with green corridors five deaths per month could be avoided in high -temperature situations, as recorded in summer 2015 was taken as a reference. This corresponds to death every six days.

“Although the effects of the green corridors on the temperatures would not be negligible, it is clear that additional measures specifically aim to combat the heat and adapt to it will be more susceptible to the effects of high temperatures,” warns iungman.

Deaths with the Metropolitan Urban Master Plan (PDUM)

In view of the fact that the Green Corridor's plan was postponed, the team decided to analyze an alternative: the Metropolitan Urban Master Plan (PDUM) of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), which is the goal in 2030. According to the same methodology as In the previous steps it was calculated that the increase in the extensive increase in this plan Founding rooms 53 early deaths per year in the city could prevent Barcelona, ​​ie 4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.

With regard to the temperature, the PDUM would achieve an average reduction of 0.03 ° C, although a maximum reduction of 0.77 ºC in a certain area of ​​the city. This temperature loss would be used 3 deaths per month in temperature situations such as those as a reference.

“In our analysis, we found that the PDUM would achieve more limited health benefits than the green corridors. This can be explained by the fact that people who live on these points could benefit from them,” says Mark Nieuwenhuijsen, director of the Program climate, air pollution, nature and city health in Isglobal.

“It should be taken into account that in this study we have only taken into account the direct connection between the green and mortality. Any urban planning intervention that suggests increasing the area assigned to green spaces is not only expected to reduce the burden of illness . But also additional advantages in connection with a reduction in air and noise pollution and an increase in physical activity, “adds Nieuwenhuijsen.

The scientific team of Isglobal is currently conducting a study with the same methodology to evaluate the effects on the mortality of the Green Dächer project, an initiative of the current city council, which suggests the green roofs.