Kuwait City: Kuwaiti meteorologist Issa Ramadan has stressed that planting trees, expanding green spaces and using light-coloured building materials are among the most effective ways to reduce temperatures and mitigate the impact of extreme summer heat in Kuwait.
Ramadan cited the results of a field experiment conducted in the Daiya area, which revealed significant temperature differences between various surfaces. According to the measurements, the shaded air temperature at around 11:45am reached 45.1°C, while a light-coloured tiled surface exposed to direct sunlight recorded approximately 51°C.
He noted that a black solar panel absorbed substantially more heat, reaching around 77°C due to the ability of dark surfaces to absorb greater amounts of solar radiation. In contrast, the temperature measured on a Conocarpus tree was only 39°C, making it about 12°C cooler than the tiled surface and nearly 38°C cooler than the black panel.
Ramadan said the findings clearly demonstrate the cooling effect of trees and vegetation, highlighting the importance of expanding green areas throughout urban environments. He added that increasing tree cover and adopting lighter colours for buildings, roads and public spaces can play a major role in reducing local temperatures.
The meteorologist emphasized that such measures can also help limit the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon where densely built-up areas become significantly warmer than surrounding regions due to heat absorption by concrete, asphalt and dark-coloured surfaces.
