Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city, is known for its oppressive heat. It’s a reputation the city’s first female Mayor Tri Rismaharini set out to change more than a decade ago.
Other cities, also beset by the urban heat island effect, are now looking to Surabaya as the climate warms.
As green spaces are replaced with concrete jungles, the urban heat island effect pushes temperatures higher - by up to 5.3 degrees. This adversely affects sleep quality and appetite, and has been associated with depression, diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.
