Experts: Municipalities must invest more in climate adaptation

Urban climatologist Sascha Henninger is urging municipalities in Rhineland-Palatinate to invest more in climate adaptation. It is important not only to pay attention to climate protection, but also to implement appropriate adaptation measures, stressed the expert from the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU). Climate change and its consequences are omnipresent. “It is time to prepare for the fact that we have to react to it.”

According to the German Environmental Aid (DUH), several towns in Rhineland-Palatinate do not protect residents well from the summer heat. In these communities, a study shows that there are too few trees and too much sealed area. The towns are developing into “heat hells,” criticizes the DUH with regard to its nationwide heat check. The trend towards more concrete and less greenery is alarming.

Henninger stressed that even if no more CO2 enters the atmosphere, the consequences will be felt for a long time – due to the length of time the greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere remain. “It doesn’t help to simply flip the switch and everything will be fine again.” That takes time.” More greenery and more water in residential areas are needed, as well as sealing of surfaces and more shade. “The list of measures is long and should always be adapted to the location.”

As a city climatologist, Henninger advises several municipalities and cities in Rhineland-Palatinate when it comes to building in a way that is adapted to the climate. Ludwigshafen, Worms and Mainz in particular failed the DUH heat check. “All three cities are characterized by a high degree of sealing,” said Henninger. “Artificial building materials such as concrete have the physical property that they absorb heat during the day and release it into the air layer close to the ground at a later time, especially in the evening and at night.”

Another problem is the lack of shade – for example from trees. “If you have a lot of sealed surfaces and little greenery, the effect described can work even better because, for example, there are no treetops to protect the surface from direct sunlight.” Air exchange is also limited in many places due to the development in the inner city area.

In the case of Ludwigshafen, Worms and Mainz, the geographical location is also a factor. “All three, with their location in the Upper Rhine Plain, are characterized by higher temperatures in terms of climate, even without the influence of the urban climate,” explained the university professor. “For people in urban areas, warm temperatures feel even higher.”