Selection of nature-based solutions to improve comfort in schools during heat waves

Climate change impacts particularly affect vulnerable populations such as children. Therefore, addressing the adaptation of educational buildings is crucial in avoiding these negative effects on school performance. In this paper, three educational buildings, located in Badajoz (Spain), Evora (Portugal) and Porto (Portugal), serve as pilot samples to study the suitability of nature-based solutions (NBS), chosen for each one of three climatic zones. The NBS selected include green roofs, vertical structures with vegetation to shade holes, outdoor trees and free-cooling ventilation. The scenarios of the different NBS implemented in the three models were simulated with the software EnergyPlus, which allows optimising the appropriate decision before renovation operations begin. The results obtained from the simulations suggest energy performance improvements after applying the most adequate NBS selection to each one of the three buildings tested. Particularly, a reduction in radiation on both roofs and facades is required in the case of Evora and Badajoz, where both climate zones have similar features, that is, warm and dry. While in Porto, milder and more humid than the former ones, it is very effective to operate mainly on the roof, complemented by small ventilation operations.The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of this work by the LIFE+ Programme under the responsibility of the Directorate General for the Environment of the European Commission through the agreement LIFE17 CCA/ES/00088, LIFE myBUILDINGisGREEN

Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation in Scholar and Social Buildings: Concepts and Pilot Solutions for Portugal and Spain

Climate change has been recognized as one of the most serious environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the world today. Contextually, the Intermunicipal Plan for Climate Change Adaptation in Alentejo Central (PIAAC-AC) has already identified the tendencies and future scenarios of climate change in Alentejo Central until the end of the twenty-first century, namely the increase in the number of days with very high temperatures, the number of tropical nights and heat waves, and the general decrease in annual rainfall. In this scenario, the concerns with school communities and users of social services increase. The project “LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN”—“application of nature-based solutions for local adaptation of educational and social buildings to Climate Change,” developed in partnership with CIMAC (Portugal), CARTIF Technology Center (Spain), Diputación de Badajoz and CSIC—Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (Real Jardin Botanico— Spain—Project Leader), and the Porto City Council (Portugal), focuses on the construction sector, in particular on education and social services buildings in cities in Europe. It aims to implement the prototypes (building adaptation) of nature-based solutions (NBS) on walls, roofs, playgrounds, and exterior surfaces on three pilot buildings. The overall objective is to contribute to improve resilience in these buildings using autochthone vegetation

Improvement of classroom conditions and CO2 concentrations through natural ventilation measures reinforced with NBS implementation

Trabajo presentado a la 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Conference for Environmental Integration (EMCEI), celebrado en Sousse (Tunisia) del 10 al 13 de octubre de 2019.mBiG Project Team would like to acknowledge the confidence and economic support of the EU LIFE Financial Instrument by financing LIFE myBUILDINGisGREEN Project