Urban forests springing up around the world to battle heat and pollution

Hikers walking on the Gwacheon entrance of Gwanaksan Mountain in Seoul in April last year. Photo: AFP

Seoul, South Korea, has recently launched an urban forest project, hoping to lower city temperatures by up to 7°C. From Phoenix in the United States to Mumbai, India, and Paris, France, as cities try to combat pollution and improve air quality, urban forests are mushrooming.

In South Korea, Seoul residents are increasingly faced with intense summer heat. In the summer of 2018, the temperatures went up to 39.6°C during the hottest part of the day.