CSA Prague
Prague Metropolitan Area
Prague, Czech Republic
The city of Prague is facing two main environmental challenges: heat stress and air quality. The warming trend of the Czech Republic has been twice as fast as the global average, and climate projections suggest that Central Europe is going to be one the fastest warming regions in Europe also in the future (according to trends in the maximum heatwave temperature). Increasing frequency and intensity of heat waves have been associated with increasing heat-related mortality in the Czech Republic and they represent the main climate-related public health challenge in the country. Impaired air quality is another public health challenge for the whole Prague Metropolitan Area due to ongoing suburbanization processes and increasing traffic. Despite a long-term decrease in the levels of air pollution, the area suffers from a large number of days with air pollution levels significantly exceeding permissible limits. These episodes occur mainly in the winter season during temperature inversion situations. The most problematic pollutants are airborne dust (solid particles, PMs), ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxides, benzo-pyrene and volatile organic compounds (VOC)related to the intense traffic and burning of fossil fuels in households and local heating plants.
Our aim is to analyze the efficiency of three main goals defined by the Prague 2030 Climate Plan:
- Large-scale tree planting within the city. By 2030, the city aims to plant at least 1.5 million new trees. We will test the feasibility and practical impact of this goal on heat stress level in Prague.
- Increasing the number of adaptation measures in city buildings. The city aims to use city-owned buildings for implementation of selected adaptation measures in order to tackle the urban heat island effect. We will test the practical impact of such measures on thermal conditions at the pedestrian level.
- Increasing the overall share of blue-green infrastructure. The city aims to increase the proportion of blue-green infrastructure in order to improve the heat resilience and sustainable water management. We will identify the areas most vulnerable to urban heat (hot spots) and test alternative scenarios new blue-green infrastructure projects in these hot spots.
The Institute of Computer Science (ICS) of the Czech Academy of Sciences has become a key player in developing advanced environmental modelling tools for urbanised areas. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, the institute creates solutions that benefit public authorities, policymakers, municipalities as well as businesses or private enterprises. Two standout projects in the institute’s portfolio are PALM and MEDARD, which specialise in urban climate modelling and weather forecasting, respectively.
Prague Metropolitan Area provides home and livelihood to almost 3 million people (30% of the Czech population). Due to high population density and economic activity the area is facing many issues related to climate change or historical heritage. Both a precise geodatabase and large network of local stakeholders developed by ICS during the previous projects makes Prague an ideal CSA for CARMINE.
The main objective of the case study is to revise findings of previous projects and identify new areas in the Prague Metropolitan Area potentially vulnerably to excessive heat stress and impair air quality. The use of improved high-resolution urban climate model (PALM) will provide novel information for the urban planners and policy makers about precise and effective adaptation / mitigation policies in the city.
Additionally, we expect that CARMINE will facility networking opportunities and experience exchange with researchers and stakeholders from other case study areas in the project. This will enables us to design new/alternative? adaptation policies and/or solutions, and test its practical impact at the street-level resolution.
- Ministry of Regional Development
- City of Prague
- Operator ICT
- Prague Emergency Service
- The Prague Institute of Planning and Development
- Czech Hydrometeorological Institute
- Universities and research institutes
- National Public Health Institute
- First meeting with local The first co-design workshop in Prague was held on the 20th November 2024.