Urban cooling solutions

As part of its commitment to support the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement, AFD Group helps cities in developing countries and in French overseas territories improve their resilience to climate change. In 2020 alone, over €750 million in new funding were allocated to sustainable cities in developing countries, including over €237 million to support urban resilience. 

In the current context of climate change and in particular the intensification of heat waves, cooling is an important lever for cities. The systematic assessment of the vulnerabilities of urban areas and the search for adaptation solutions are already bearing fruits. Examples include taking account of the wind direction to provide natural ventilation in the eco-city of Zenata in Morocco, and development along the banks of the Barigui river in Brazil to promote biodiversity in the city and allow urban cooling and access to pleasant public spaces for residents. In Reunio island, the "Coeur de ville” project for the city centre of La Possession focuses on bioclimatic architecture and urban development. 

These three cases and others are presented in the “Urban Cooling Solutions” collection which draws inspiration from projects around the world according to the variability of today’s and future climates, produced in partnership with ADEME. The originality of the collection lies in the diversity of the climatic contexts in which the case studies are situated and the variety of levels of intervention, ranging from individual buildings to whole districts and cities.