Heat wave threatens Witzenhausen: Experts demand immediate measures!

Heat wave threatens Witzenhausen: Experts demand immediate measures!

The summer heat is a problem for many people. The past few years in particular have made it clear how dangerous extreme heat times can be for health. In 2024, according to the Robert Koch Institute, 2800 people in Germany died of the consequences of great heat. An alarming number, not least compared to the 8700 deaths in 2018. In view of this development, health organizations such as the Federal Medical Association, the German Nursing Council and the German Alliance Climate Change and Health urgently demand protective measures against heat. HNA reports that ...

In Witzenhausen there is no specific heat protection action plan so far, but the city administration plans to develop one in the coming years. While the Werra acts as a natural air conditioning system and ensures cooling, the need for targeted measures is becoming increasingly pressing. On the marketplace, citizens can refresh themselves at a drinking water fountain or a water feature. Information about heat is currently provided by the city administration - especially in the form of fire protection information - a systematic approach is still missing.

The Werra-Meißner-Kreis and his hands-on activities

The Werra-Meißner-Kreis is working intensively on a climate adaptation concept that is developed together with 15 municipalities. The challenges are diverse: heat periods particularly strain children and the elderly, while storms and drought damage forests and fields. The risk of floods from heavy rain will also increase. Forecasts show that the intensity and frequency of such events will continue to increase in the future. Weißenborn.orts.App indicates ...

A wide range of citizenship is intended to ensure that the population is actively involved in the planning. Citizens: Inside are invited to enter their personal experiences with climate change, such as observations on heavy rain or allergies, by February 28, 2025 via the platform www.klimaan adaptation-wmk-gmachen.de. On March 14, 2025, there will also be a kick -off event on climate adjustment in the municipality of Weißenborn.

health consequences of heat

In order to better understand the health consequences of heat, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) plays a central role. Climate change is described by the World Health Organization as the greatest health threat to humanity. Older people, pregnant women and marginalized social groups, who often have fewer resources, are particularly at risk. The RKI has already launched projects in order to examine the heat -threatening of the heat in Germany and to further develop its methodology to estimate these deaths. The rki reports that ...

Currently there is no legal obligation for municipalities in Germany to create heat protection action plans, although the Health Ministers' Conference has already recommended this in 2020. Many cities, including Bochum, Leipzig and Mannheim, have already launched their own plans. German environmental aid therefore criticizes the lack of effective protective measures in many cities.

It remains to be seen when Witzenhausen will really be active and whether the planned measures have an effect in good time. However, it is clear that the topics of heat and climate adjustment are of central importance for the future development of the region. Those responsible are required to prove a good knack in implementation and the citizens: to include the measures in the measures.