Irrigating urban green space for cooling benefits: the mechanisms and management considerations

Abstract Evapotranspiration is an important cooling mechanism in urban green space (UGS). Irrigating vegetated surfaces with potable water, collected stormwater or recycled sewage water has the potential to increase effect of UGS by increasing evapotranspiration. Such may not always be strong because evapotranspiration dependent on local and regional factors such as background climate, seasonality vegetation type. When using irrigation for cooling, city managers also need consider management issues supply amenity use UGS. This study aims develop a theoretical framework that explains physical energetic mechanisms assist make decision about cooling. achieved reviewing impacts climate reported literature identifying influence warm seasons. The suggests can potentially reduce daily maximum air temperature ground surface approximately 2.5 °C 4.9 °C, respectively, depending weather conditions amount. Background factor influences potentials irrigation. Cities dry climates have highest from are influenced weather, type, time day season mitigate heat within climatic potentials. To maximise effect, cities abundant soil moisture-controlled regime while those limited temperature-controlled regime. More studies required understand irrigating small, individual