Athens will be better at dealing with severe weather

The new official will find ways to keep the Greek capital and its residents cool during the heat waves increasingly affecting the country.

“For our city, climate change means frequent and more dangerous high temperatures for residents and tourists which are essential to our economy,” Mayor Costas Bakoyannis said when introducing the new role on Friday.

Not least shopping Protect children and the elderly, the two groups most at risk of heat stroke.

Among other things, the city will now review how roads and buildings are built, as well as the materials used. Investments will also be made in increasing green spaces in Athens and in planting trees.

Today, the city uses an app to warn residents of rising temperatures.

This year’s summer is one of the warmest measured so far. It is particularly difficult to manage heat in cities due to their high energy consumption and lack of cooled green spaces.

with Friday Athens will be the first country in Europe to offer this role. Earlier this year, Miami-Dade, Florida, USA held a similar position.

Athens, on the other hand, is not the only city in Europe for which heat is a growing problem. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also warns that extreme heat is about to become the new normal in cities.

There is an urgent need to strengthen measures taken in cities to deal with the extreme heat, according to the Guardian newspaper.