After la rentrée, when adults and children alike across France head back to work and school after the seemingly endless summer holidays, you would be forgiven for thinking autumn is upon us. But, weather permitting, enthusiastic swimmers in Paris will be able to prolong that holiday feeling into September – by taking a dip in the River Seine.

For nearly 100,000 swimmers, one of the highlights of this summer in the city has been being able to take a splash in the cool river waters at one of the three free public bathing spots, made available this year for the first time in over a century.

They are the visible culmination of a huge, multiyear river cleanup operation that goes far beyond urban swimming, giving other cities a masterclass in looking after their waterways and adapting to the climate crisis. Paris, one of Europe’s most densely populated cities, has experienced extreme heatwaves in recent summers, and is already preparing for a 50C scenario.

Around the world, governments are scrambling to protect scarce water resources as temperatures rise. One part of adapting to rising temperatures is identifying and promoting a network of “cool islands”, such as bathing spots or green spaces, that can help people cool off in extreme heat. In recent years, Paris and its surrounding authorities have invested €1.4bn in infrastructure improvements to improve the water quality of the Seine.........

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