SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - Singapore is ranked 19th among 30 global cities best prepared to deal with extreme urban heat in a new Heat Resilience Index by Savills. The index assesses a city's average and record high temperatures in 2023 against its environmental practices, social policies and governance.

European cities dominate the top ranks, with Helsinki, Copenhagen, and Stockholm taking the top three spots due to their cooler climates and progressive environmental policies.

Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Sydney are among the top 20 Asia Pacific cities, with Tokyo ranking highest at 4th place.

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Chris Cummings, director of Savills Earth, emphasises the importance of considering urban heat in city planning. He notes that higher land values facing parks and water bodies often lead to a concentration of taller buildings that can create a "wall effect", trapping heat in the urban environment.

Excessive heat exacerbates air pollution, increases the risk of wildfires, and heightens the risk of flooding, undermining a city's attractiveness as a place to live, work, and play and as a place for investment and business expansion, he adds.

According to Paul Tostevin, Savills' director of world research, excessive heat exacerbates air pollution, increases the risk of wildfire, and heightens the risk of flooding. "It undermines the attractiveness of a city to live, work, and play and as a place for investment and business expansion," he says.

Real estate owners must ensure that their property can adapt to climate changes, future energy-related legislation, and physical risks, such as the possibility of building damage caused by extreme heat.