Following the UK’s driest spring on record, and England’s hottest June, this episode explores the causes of heatwaves, and what we can do to reduce the health and wellbeing impacts of extreme temperatures. We learn about the urban heat island affect with Professor Stefán Smith, Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Reading, and we look at the importance of water efficiency and soil health with Dr Laurence Couldrick, CEO at the Westcountry Rivers Trust. 

Listen now to discover: 

• Why towns and cities get warmer and stay warmer than surrounding rural areas. 
• How introducing more vegetation and bodies of water can have a localised cooling effect. 
• How communities can come together to provide places of sanctuary for vulnerable people during heatwaves. 
• How animals also suffer in the heat and what farmers can do to protect their livestock. 
• Why it’s crucial to make space for water across the UK, to build resilience against the effects of our changing climate.

Full transcript available at: https://carboncopy.eco/podcasts/prepare-for-heatwaves

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Show notes 

• Find out more about preparing for heatwaves: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction/prepare-for-heatwaves  
• Explore all 25 Big Local Actions: https://carboncopy.eco/takeaction         
• Listen back to previous episodes and series of the Carbon Copy Podcast: https://carboncopy.eco/podcast  
• Read about Westcountry Rivers Trust’s work on drought resilience: https://wrt.org.uk/our-projects/  
• Read about Stefán’s research related to how people move around urban environments during extreme weather: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FW002965%2F1  
• Learn about the Making Space for Water campaign: https://theriverstrust.org/making-space-for-water  
• Discover initiatives that are related to water security and resilience: https://carboncopy.eco/impact/safe-water  
• Contact us with comments or feedback: hello@carboncopy.eco  

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