Swiss Review 3/2020

Swiss Review / June 2020 / No.3 By 2050, Berne will have much the same climate as Milan’s today. Photo: Keystone 6 Focus THEODORA PETER On hot summer days, the water dis- play on Berne’s Bundesplatz is popu- lar among tourists and locals alike. In front of the imposing sandstone fa- cades of the Federal Palace and the Swiss National Bank, children flit be- tween the 26 fountains that symbol- ise Switzerland’s cantons. They then lie face down, drying themselves on the sun-baked stone. From the restau- rant verandas of the old town, to the ice creamvendors lining the banks of the River Aare – the vibe is distinctly Mediterranean. In Berne and other northern hemisphere cities, this is but a taste of things to come. According to a study by ETH Zurich, which pairs the predicted climatic conditions of 520 major cities around the world in 2050 with their closest climatic like- ness today, Berne will have a similar climate to that of present-day Milan in three decades’ time. London will feel like Barcelona, Stockholm like Budapest, andMadrid likeMarrakech. The latest climate scenarios reveal a likely rise in Swiss summer temper- atures of between 0.9°C and 2.5°C, meaning that the number of days the mercury hits 30°Cwill continue to in- crease. Cities will bear the brunt and turn into veritable heat islands. Shadeless streets and asphalted squares heat the air like a furnace. This air is slow to cool at night, with temperatures consequently unable to dip below 20°C. Trees – the new air conditioners As far as Switzerland is concerned, the impact of climate change is particu- larly evident in Sion. No other Swiss city has recorded a sharper increase in temperature over the last 20 years. For example, the number of days with temperatures reaching at least 30°C in the capital of Valais has risen from 45 to 70 since 1984. The city launched the government-funded pilot project Feeling the heat in Swiss cities Heatwaves are becoming more common as a result of climate change. This is particularly true of cities, where summer is an increasingly sweltering affair. Vegetation, open-water areas and urban air corridors can all help to keep people cool.