Seville in the face of global warming
While it's not uncommon for the thermometer to rise above 40°C, Seville's own record-breaking temperatures continue to hover around the 46°C mark. Locals, not even cooled by the famous Andalusian fan, have got into the habit of organizing their activities in the morning, while holidaymakers come earlier and earlier in the season, before the heat becomes too oppressive.
Since 2022, the city has even been the first in the world to name its heat waves, in the same way as storms and hurricanes. The initiative, recommended by climatologists, should help raise public awareness of these events.
To counter this unfortunate meteorological phenomenon, the city council is attempting to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and has in particular greatly expanded the cycling network, which has increased from 80 km to 180 km over 2019 alone. In 2018, it also invested in 340 organic waste containers and equipped residents with electronic cards. The stated aim is to reduce the amount of waste incinerated in landfill, and on a larger scale, to limit global warming. However, the city has yet to draw up an emergency plan to deal with pollution peaks, despite the fact that air pollution is one of the city's biggest environmental problems.
The city of 100 gardens
In an increasingly sweltering atmosphere, Seville's gardens act as veritable oases. The tradition of gardens dates back to Roman times, and forms an integral part of the city's identity. Of particular note are the gardens of the Royal Alcázares (Reales l'Alcázares), the green jewel of the city center and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They feature 170 plant species in a Garden of Eden of azulejo-tiled ponds. The 38-hectare Parc de María Luisa is more than 5 times the size of the Alcazar. With its subtropical flora, it invites you on an exotic journey through a luxuriant jungle, populated by colorful birds. These collared parakeets, the result of the closure of an illegal bird market in the 1990s, now number over 5,500 in the metropolis. Very territorial, they represent a real threat to local birds. The smaller Jardines de Murillo are not lacking in charm either.
From anarchic urbanism to citizen initiatives
Although orchards have always been part of Seville's history, for a long time they had to stand alongside wastelands and rubbish dumps. Over the course of the 20th century, the city underwent growth as dazzling as it was anarchic, replacing agricultural areas with disorganized urban zones, particularly on the outskirts. As the city was slow to act, a number of citizens' initiatives emerged, starting with Miraflores Park.
In 1983, a 150,000-strong citizens' association took over a 90-hectare wasteland and transformed it into an environmental and social project. Today, the park is still the largest in the metropolis, providing local residents with agricultural self-sufficiency thanks to local produce grown in the heart of the city. The city, however, was slow to recognize its value, and took some ten years to approve the project. Alongside the Miraflores garden, many other spontaneous green spaces have sprung up on vacant lots, such as the Parc du Tamarguillo and the Parc de San Jerónimo: a very concrete way for Sevillians to take their environmental fate into their own hands.
