Still, Cassiano sees Teto Verde Favela as a template for others in similar situations around the world. And with the effects of climate change arriving quickly, time may not be on their side. He is still far from converting every roof in his community of some 20,000 people. But covering the roofs of an entire neighborhood requires time and - even with cost-reducing measures - a big budget. Favela construction comes with its own set of technical peculiarities and public policy problems, and Cassiano enlisted the help of local scientists to research best practices and materials. More than 10 years since that hot day in 2012 - and several heat records later - Cassiano heads Teto Verde Favela, a nonprofit he started to educate residents about how they can build their own green roofs. And as a long-time favela resident, he knew he couldn’t depend on Brazil’s government to create better living conditions for his neighbors, the majority of whom are Black. Scientific research suggests green infrastructure can offer urban residents a wide range of benefits: In addition to cooling ambient temperatures, they can reduce stormwater runoff, curb noise pollution, improve building energy efficiency, and ease anxiety. “Why can’t favelas do that too?” he recalled thinking. The European country started to seriously explore the technology in the 1960s, and by 2019, had expanded its green roofs to an estimated 30,000 acres, more than doubling in a decade. While speaking with a friend working in sustainable development in Germany, Cassiano learned about green roofs: an architectural design feature in which rooftops are covered in vegetation to reduce temperatures both inside and outdoors. According to a 2021 study published in Nature Climate Change, more than a third of the world’s heat-related deaths between 19 could be attributed to a warming planet. Such health problems will likely increase as heat waves become more frequent and severe with climate change. Heat waves are associated with increased rates of dehydration, heat stroke, and death they can exacerbate chronic health conditions, including respiratory disorders and they impact brain function. That weather takes a toll on human health. Such areas are often termed “ heat islands” since they present pockets of high temperatures - sometimes as much as 20 degrees hotter than surrounding areas. Parque Arará mirrors many other low-income urban communities, which tend to lack greenery and are more likely to face extreme heat than their wealthier or more rural counterparts. “I only came home to sleep,” said Cassiano. While the temperatures outside made his roof hot enough to cook an egg - Cassiano said he once tried and succeeded - inside felt worse. “And not just this favela, but others, too.” “I started to imagine the whole favela with green roofs,” he said. After learning about Germany’s green roofs from a friend, Parque Arará resident Luis Cassiano decided to build one himself.
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