An official ceremony marked the launch of an innovative project aimed at building a zone to combat the “heat island” effect. This zone is located within the area of the pedestrian underpass on Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., near the Arena Ruse sports hall in Ruse city.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by the Magdalena Ilieva – Deputy Mayor, Ivaylo Kadishev – Director of International Policies, Business Activities and Analyses Directorate, the project team and representatives of the construction and design teams.
The construction works on site “Landscaping of an open pedestrian underpass on Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd., aimed at building a zone to combat the “heat island” effect, are accomplished under project “Implementation of innovative climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in municipalities in Bulgaria” within the Environment and Climate Change Program of the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism.
The activities in Ruse city are focused on the creation of an innovative zone to combat the heat island effect within an urbanized territory (i.e. “anti-heat island” creation), which includes combined climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in the region: reducing the area of the heated surfaces, vertical greening to create natural thermal insulation, natural and artificial shading and cooling by water misting, construction of an irrigation system and a drinking water fountain, etc.
Following the implementation of these measures, the temperatures in the area of the underpass on Tzar Osvoboditel Blvd. will be reduced and the place will be transformed from a site for transit crossing into a site for recreation and socialization.
The project is implemented in partnership with the National Trust Eco Fund (NTEF), the Norwegian Association of Regional and Local Authorities (KS), the municipalities of Burgas, Varna, Kardzhali, Plovdiv, Ruse, Sliven, Sofia and Stara Zagora.
