Playgrounds in Jakarta too hot for play as experts urge design rethink
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The main play structure at Embung Jagakarsa open green space in Jagakarsa, South Jakarta, stands tall under direct sunlight with no shade above it, as seen on Aug 10.
PHOTO: THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
- Jakarta's playgrounds get dangerously hot due to lack of shade and rising temperatures from climate change, making outdoor play unsafe for children.
- Experts urge redesigning playgrounds to prioritise shade and use heat-safe materials to protect children from heat stress and burns.
- Authorities are encouraged to integrate heat risk into urban planning and create heat action plans to extend safe outdoor play days for families.
AI generated
JAKARTA – It was still 10am at Embung Jagakarsa open green space in Jagakarsa district, South Jakarta, but the temperature had already reached 30 deg C. The yellow-and-blue play structure stood tall in the middle of the playground under the sweltering sun, making the structure’s surface too hot to touch.
On the morning of Aug 10, a little girl took off her shoes before entering the playground in the area, but put them on again less than a minute later while muttering, “Hot! Hot! Hot!”
