Solar Irradiance Reduction Using Optimized Green Infrastructure in Arid Hot Regions: A Case Study in El-Nozha District, Cairo, Egypt

Wesam M. Elbardisy, Mohamed A. Salheen and Mohammed Fahmy
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Wesam M. Elbardisy: Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Abbaseya, Cairo 11517, Egypt
Mohamed A. Salheen: Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Abbaseya, Cairo 11517, Egypt
Mohammed Fahmy: Department of Architecture Engineering, Military Technical Collage, Kobry El-Kobba, Cairo 11662, Egypt

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 17, 1-32

Abstract: In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, studies focused on the relationship between urban planning practice and climatology are still lacking, despite the fact that the latter has nearly three decades of literature in the region and the former has much more. However, such an unfounded relationship that would consider urban sustainability measures is a serious challenge, especially considering the effects of climate change. The Greater Cairo Region (GCR) has recently witnessed numerous serious urban vehicular network re-development, leaving the city less green and in need of strategically re-thinking the plan regarding, and the role of, green infrastructure. Therefore, this study focuses on approaches to the optimization of the urban green infrastructure, in order to reduce solar irradiance in the city and, thus, its effects on the urban climatology. This is carried out by studying one of the East Cairo neighborhoods, named El-Nozha district, as a representative case of the most impacted neighborhoods. In an attempt to quantify these effects, using parametric simulation, the Air Temperature (T a ), Mean Radiant Temperature (T mrt ), Relative Humidity (RH), and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) parameters were calculated before and after introducing urban trees, acting as green infrastructure types that mitigate climate change and the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. Our results indicate that an optimized percentage, spacing, location, and arrangement of urban tree canopies can reduce the irradiance flux at the ground surface, having positive implications in terms of mitigating the urban heat island effect.

Keywords: tree microclimate; thermal comfort; urban heat island; ENVI-met; solar irradiance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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