'Cool map' not enough in summer heat; more plants needed: Expert

Taipei, June 2 (CNA) A climate specialist has questioned the Ministry of Environment's (MOENV) plan to launch a "cool map" in July, saying that coping with rising city temperatures in Taiwan should highlight vegetation instead of air-conditioning.

The MOENV's planned "cool map" would help people locate air-conditioned spaces in cities, but professor Lin Tzu-ping (林子平) of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) told CNA that it should instead identify comfortable outdoors areas to alleviate the summer heat.

Air-conditioning can actually reduce people's resilience to heat, and therefore any anti-heat strategy should prioritize public areas and more vegetation, said Lin, who heads NCKU's Building and Climate Lab (BCLab).

The most effective city cooling strategies usually incorporate a combination of plants, water and wind, Lin said, suggesting that Taiwan create more interconnected shaded areas with ventilation and water features for people to cool down.

In Singapore, for example, there are shaded areas within 400 meters of the subway stations, which protect people from the heat when they are outside, he said.

On the question of Taiwan's future urban cooling strategies, Lin said greater cross-agency collaboration will be needed, with the Ministry of the Interior, for example, overseeing building policies while local government agencies manage parks.