Kassel fights against the heat: drinking fountains and green oases for everyone!

Kassel fights against the heat: drinking fountains and green oases for everyone!

In the Kassel district, the current challenges of climate change are increasingly coming into focus. Rising temperatures, droughts and extreme weather events require municipalities to act quickly. That's why many communities are tackling heat protection projects like this HNA reports.

A central issue is heat protection in the city of Hofgeismar. Here you don't have a fixed heat protection plan, but act according to the situation. Unsealing of areas, the use of permeable substrates and facade greening are important aspects of urban development. The old town church square is promoted as a “green island” in the old town.

Drinking fountains and heat warning systems

To meet the need for water on hot days, a drinking fountain was set up, to which citizens are already responding well. More wells are being planned, and a heat warning message for the city app is being worked on in Wolfhagen. Kassel also plans to install ten new drinking fountains this year and a total of 20 more by 2027. The locations of these fountains are visible to all citizens in the city of Kassel's geoportal Climate human health explained.

The health department also plays an important role. It informs the population about the dangers of extreme heat and offers helpful tips on how to behave and cope better with the heat.

Joint action in the region

The communities in the district work closely together to take effective heat protection measures. In Habichtswald, for example, they rely on extensive advice, construction work and greening. Awnings and external blinds on public facilities will provide more shade in the future. Kaufungen, on the other hand, is developing a specific heat protection concept to better protect vulnerable groups. Plans include drinking water stations at central locations and the planting of 100 shade trees.

The challenges of climate change make it clear: cities must adapt to the new circumstances. According to that Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction Urban development and construction must be designed in such a way that buildings, living environments and green spaces take the new climatic conditions into account. Creating more urban greenery, unsealing areas and improving water retention are important measures here.

This strategy also aims to better protect vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, pregnant women or the chronically ill. In order to meet these challenges, the Federal Ministry supports municipalities with funding and planning instruments. The ongoing projects in the region show that a good hand and coordinated approach can make a significant contribution to ensuring the quality of life even on hot days in Hofgeismar and beyond.