[Robert J. Fouser] Urban cooling for a hotter Korea

[홀랜]

Robert J. Fouser

August has always been South Korea’s hottest month, but this year is heading for the record books. Much of the country is under “severe heat warnings” defined as a real feel temperature over 38 degrees Celsius or a temperature over 39 C. Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, near Busan, recently reported a record high of 42.5 C. The extreme heat has caused thousands of illnesses, with heat-related deaths being reported almost daily.

The Korea Meteorological Administration deserves praise for putting out frequent heat warnings to urge caution. During “severe heat warnings,” all outdoor activities are discouraged. In recent years, networks of local cooling centers have been expanded to offer respite for those without air-conditioning at home. Local government officials and volunteers routinely check on vulnerable elderly residents. Though limited amid such extreme weather, these measures have no doubt saved countless lives.

Extreme heat in Europe this year has cast the reality of climate change in a new light.

Spain and Italy have always been hot, but extreme heat has been rare, almost unknown, in northern parts of Europe. Traditionally, summers have only a few hot days, but lower humidity has made even those days tolerable. The mild climate has made it difficult to justify extensive investment in air conditioning, making it much less common than in other parts of the developed world.

Now the effects of climate change are clear. Devastating heat waves have hurt vulnerable populations, resulting in illness and death. Forest fires in France and Spain caused hundreds of thousands to evacuate as they encroached on population centers.

Immediate efforts naturally focused on emergency relief, but as the summer moved along, Europeans realized that they would need to make substantive changes in their physical environment to cope effectively with extreme heat in the future.

The heat wave in South Korea has, so far, not been as devastating as that in Europe, but it raises similar questions about changes in the physical environment needed to meet the new climate reality. In Europe’s case, the most obvious infrastructural change is greater adoption of air conditioning, despite the possibility of a negative impact on the environment.

South Korea already has a very high penetration of air conditioning, but some lower-income — often elderly — households in dense urban areas still lack it. Cooling centers offer short-term relief, but are not designed as places to stay for extended heat waves. Stricter housing codes are needed to ensure that all dwellings are required to have adequate air conditioning before being rented or sold. In addition, lower-income households that have trouble paying higher electric bills in summer need financial assistance.

Cities in South Korea are densely populated and densely built. Green space is most extensive in the mountains that surround most cities rather than being mixed into the fabric of the city. Densely built areas with little green space create heat islands where temperatures can rise to dangerously high levels.

Tearing down sections of cities to build green space is obviously not a practical solution. Greenery can be added on sidewalks and rooftops, and small pocket parks can replace parking lots. Such measures may offer some relief over time, but they do not offer immediate relief from extreme heat amid the bustle of city life.

Instead, South Korean cities do what cities in hot climates have long done: integrate shade and water into the cityscape. The temperature in shade and sun is the same, but shade feels 6 to 8 degrees cooler than broad sunlight. The large umbrellas at crosswalks, which have received wide praise, show that cities understand the importance of shade. They need to build on this success by cooperating with building owners to install more shading on sidewalks and other places where people gather.

Water, either flowing or as mist, plays a key role. Mist from fountains blows in the wind, and the sound of water itself is cooling and refreshing.

As extreme heat has become more common in South Korea, some markets, such as Dongwon Traditional Market near Myeonmok Station in eastern Seoul, have begun installing pipes that emit a gentle mist on shoppers below. Like umbrellas at crosswalks, mist systems have been well received and are spreading to other public spaces.

The rainy season and the heat that follows in South Korea are still short compared to the months of cold winter weather. This explains the historical development of unique cultural products like ondol and kimchi that focus on getting through long winters. It is time to do the same for the season of extreme heat.

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Robert J. Fouser

Robert J. Fouser, a former associate professor of Korean language education at Seoul National University, writes on Korea from Providence, Rhode Island. He can be reached at robertjfouser@gmail.com. The views expressed here are the writer’s own. -- Ed.

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