Berlin advocates for enhanced measures to combat heat vulnerability
"Hot Stuff Coming to Berlin, Yo!"
Berlin, Germany (dpa/bb) - Gearing up for heatwave protection! A much-awaited citywide heat action plan is set to hit the Senate this year, as announced by Health Senator Ina Czyborra at a press conference in a heat refuge facility on Kurmärkische Straße, Schöneberg.
Potential measures may include the creation of shaded zones, long-term renovations in building, neighborhood, and park planning. According to the SPD politician, heat-related deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities, though they're far less noticeable. Homeless people appear to be particularly vulnerable.
Seven Heat Refuge Hubs Across Berlin
There are seven heat protection rooms, funded by the Senate, citywide. However, the President of the Berlin Medical Association, Peter Bobbert, stresses that if approximately 6,000 homeless Berliners reside on the streets daily, we're undeniably short on relief stations.
"Heat is a Silent Killer"
"Heat kills people," Bobbert states. According to the Berlin-Brandenburg statistics office, 52 people died from heat-related causes in Berlin in 2024.
The heat refuge on Kurmärkische Straße operates round-the-clock from 10 am to 8 pm and is managed by the International Bund Berlin-Brandenburg. It boasts a shaded terrace and garden, restroom facilities, refreshments, and luggage storage facilities. Additionally, it offers 30 daytime sleeping spots.
Insights from Broader Climate Initiatives
- VDI Standards: The German Engineers Association has published heat protection standards, including strategies to cut indoor temperatures and long-term solutions in urban planning and construction.
- Heat Action Day: National campaigns like "Heat Action Day" stress the importance of protecting against high temperatures, urging the integration of heat protection into infrastructure and urban development.
- Berlin's SolarCity Masterplan: Berlin aims to boost solar energy production and green spaces in its SolarCity 2025–2030 plan, which could help mitigate urban heat islands and heatwaves.
- Climate Adaptation Funds: States in Germany are urging the federal government for more funds to support climate adaptation and mitigation measures, which may involve urban planning and green space initiatives to combat heatwaves.
- The citywide heat action plan, set to be introduced in Berlin's Senate, emphasizes the importance of science and environmental-science, as it includes strategies for long-term renovations in building, neighborhood, and park planning, aiming to reduce the urban heat island effect.
- Health Senators, such as Ina Czyborra, are raising awareness about the significance of health-and-wellness during heatwaves, highlighting that heat-related deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities and homeless people are particularly vulnerable.
- Despite having seven heat protection rooms citywide, there's a pressing need to address the mental-health and overall well-being of the approximately 6,000 homeless Berliners residing on the streets daily, as acknowledged by the President of the Berlin Medical Association, Peter Bobbert.
- Addressing the broader climate issues, initiatives such as VDI standards, "Heat Action Day," Berlin's SolarCity Masterplan, and Climate Adaptation Funds underline the critical role of fitness-and-exercise, nutrition, and climate-change awareness in adapting to and mitigating the effects of heatwaves and climate change on public health.
