Augsburg's heat action plan: Protection for the weak in the summer heat!

Augsburg's heat action plan: Protection for the weak in the summer heat!

The city of Augsburg has taken a significant step towards climate adaptation by adopting a comprehensive heat action plan. Under the leadership of Reiner Erben, the environmental and health officer, the health department developed this plan, which is part of the KASA climate adaptation concept. Augsburg is struggling with rising temperatures, which have risen by an average of 2.2 degrees Celsius since 1881, which is reflected in an increasing number of hot days above 30 degrees. This development brings with it health challenges, especially for vulnerable groups such as older people, children, pregnant women and people with previous illnesses, as Augsburg.de reports.

What's particularly alarming is that the number of heavy rain days in the spring has increased by 29 percent, highlighting just how extreme the weather is becoming. The new heat action plan includes 18 measures divided into four areas. This includes:

Measures in the heat action plan

• Planung & Koordinierung:
  • Einrichtung einer städtischen Koordinierungsstelle.
  • Jährlicher Steuerungskreis zur Weiterentwicklung.
• Information & Aufklärung:
  • Digitale Hitzewarnungen und eine Info-Plattform.
  • Kampagnen für besonders gefährdete Gruppen.
• Gesundheit & Soziales:
  • Hitzeschutz in Kitas, Schulen und Pflegeeinrichtungen.
  • Verteilung von Trinkflaschen für Obdachlose und Checklisten für Veranstaltungen.
• Öffentlicher Raum:
  • Begrünte „Klimainseln“ wie am Martin-Luther-Platz.
  • Übersicht kühler Orte wie Parks, Kirchen oder Bibliotheken.

Such a “climate island” was recently inaugurated at Martin-Luther-Platz, where shady lounge areas were created. Information about cool retreats is available via the heat portal at augsburg.de/wärme, which provides official heat warnings from the German Weather Service. This shows how keen the city administration is to provide citizens with support during hot times.

In addition, street workers provide free drinking bottles for the homeless, ensuring that even the weakest groups do not suffer from the heat. There are already special heat protection measures for daycare centers, which include regular drinking breaks and shady play areas. Event organizers can receive checklists to help them be prepared when it comes to shade, drinking water and medical supplies.

Regular evaluation of the measures

The heat action plan stipulates that the implementation of the measures will be checked annually. A steering committee will meet regularly to assess the situation and possibly define new challenges. This type of management is crucial to prepare the city for increasing heat stress and to sustainably protect the health of the population. The need for such a plan is underscored by the analysis of cities such as Wuppertal, where a heat action plan is also being developed to protect citizens from the health consequences of extreme heat, as Wuppertal.de illustrates.