German government calls for national heatwave action plan
As temperatures soar, Germany’s State Secretary for Environment calls for a national heatwave action plan to protect residents and adapt cities.
Germany is enduring its hottest summer yet, with temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius and causing water shortages, train cancellations, and even 5,780 excess deaths due to the June heatwave alone. State Secretary for the Environment, Jochen Flasbarth, is urging the government to establish a national heatwave action plan, emphasizing that individual state plans are insufficient.
While some federal states have implemented heat protection measures, Flasbarth believes a nationwide plan is necessary to consolidate efforts. He questions the cost-effectiveness of large-scale renovations without incorporating tree planting, noting that urban trees provide shade and can help reduce temperatures in big cities. Flasbarth highlighted the importance of planting trees during a recent renovation in Berlin, suggesting that such actions could alleviate the severe consequences of rising global temperatures, including more frequent and intense thunderstorms and wildfires.
Written by urgent.news from IamExpat Germany (News)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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