Madrid’s Poorest Districts Demand More Trees to Beat Deadly Heatwaves

 

Madrid is grappling with increasingly deadly heatwaves, but not all neighbourhoods are affected equally. In Puente de Vallecas, one of the city’s poorest districts, street-level temperatures can differ by nearly three degrees Celsius depending on the presence of trees. Activist group Sustainable Vallekas has been monitoring the difference, pointing out that shaded streets are noticeably cooler, while treeless sections become suffocating heat traps. The situation is especially critical in areas like San Diego within Puente de Vallecas, which consistently registers some of the city’s highest temperatures. A study by the Polytechnic University of Madrid highlighted “urban heat islands” where neighbourhoods are up to eight degrees warmer than greener parts of the city. The lack of affordable air conditioning worsens the problem for low-income households, many of which cannot shield themselves from the heat. Doctors in the area say elderly patients, particularly those with pre-existing health conditions, are dying in greater numbers during summer months. Traditionally, winter posed the greatest risk for Europe’s older citizens, but now prolonged summer heat has become equally deadly. For residents, the simple presence of trees is increasingly seen not just as a matter of comfort but of public health and survival.

The issue of tree cover has now become political in Madrid. Since taking office in 2019, Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida has clashed with environmental activists, especially over plans to cut down more than 1,000 trees for a metro line extension. Official data show that while the total number of trees across the city has grown slightly, poorer southern districts such as Puente de Vallecas have lost tree cover. The area has seen over 1,300 trees disappear since 2019, amounting to a three percent loss. Some of this decline is due to natural disasters, including a severe snowstorm in 2021 that killed 80,000 trees, but construction projects have also played a major role. Critics argue that the city has failed to properly replace lost trees, despite laws that once required this. Recent reforms now allow local councils to pay into a fund instead of replanting. Although the mayor’s office claims it has planted tens of thousands of trees, including more than 1,300 in Puente de Vallecas, hundreds of empty tree pits remain unfilled. Opposition parties, such as Mas Madrid, have promised ambitious planting programs, calling for one tree every seven metres. For campaigners and residents, restoring tree cover is not only about the environment but about protecting vulnerable lives during extreme heat.

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