Climate Change In The 21st Century

Climate change can be plainly defined as a large-scale, long-term shift in the planet’s weather patterns or average temperatures (Met Office). In 2016, the six-month period from January to June was the planet 's warmest half-year on record, with an average temperature 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.4 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than the late nineteenth century (NASA). Such information reiterates why adaptation to and mitigation of climate change is a pressing issue within the 21st century, unlike any other time in history. Climate change directly affects the social and environmental determinants of our health and for some populations, already significantly hampers access to clean air, safe sources of drinking water, food and secure shelters (ref, WHO). Health outcomes have already begun to reflect this, with a predicted increase in the climate change related deaths experienced in the next 15-20 years. For example, The World Health Organisation asserts that that climate change is expected to cause in the region of 250,000 additional deaths each year between 2030 and 2050 (ref). Such

Victoria Park, located within Tower Hamlets was opened in 1845 and for some individuals at the time, may have been the only large stretch of uninterrupted greenery they ever encountered. Finding contemporary ways to integrate green infrastructure and urban design is the current challenge within cities today and of the future.

1.5 Innovative, carefully planned urban green spaces help to improve the aesthetic of a city landscape, encouraging an uptake of physical activity and helping to better public health. Trees and expansive green spaces can be successfully used to control urban temperatures by offering shading, assisting to dissipate heat through evaporation, and influencing air