Leren van het zuiden. Kennis en ervaring uit zuidelijker Europa

Goal

Share lessons from southern European countries on climate adaptation. What can we do in the Netherlands, what is the next step? The goal is to exchange practice-oriented views.

Content

The fundamentals on the relationship between heat waves and mortality, and on urban climate – there are lessons to be learnt from our southerly neighbours. Measures to reduce heat stress in urban areas.

Outcomes

Recommendations from foreign speakers:

  • Mean Radiant Temperature (MRT) can help to better identify heat-prone areas in cities and to make better projections of urban heat stress than air temperature.
  • The most important strategy to improve the urban climate is to reduce the radiant component during the day and increase cooling during the night. Amongst all measures, the increase in urban greenery is the most determinant (the only measure that can cool during day and night).
  • To make dense (but) green cities.
  • It is fundamental to raise awareness amongst citizens and politicians.
  • The importance of having good legislation promoting climate protection and adaptation; of having an institution that cares about it; of climatologists, city planners and politicians to work together; and of having good basic data on the climate of the city suitable for city planners (concise and clear information).

Ideas from the Dutch audience:

  • Better focus on heat stress in the Netherlands regarding urban planning.
  • Think about integrated solutions.
  • Raise awareness in some groups of the population.
  • Be aware of the risks (for specific solutions).
  • Provide indicators of effects.
  • Better accessibility to information.
  • ‘omgevingsvisie’ + new developments should integrate solutions
  • There should be more regulations:
    • Maximum heat stress hours should be limited
    • Change the national rules in the bouwbesluit
    • Rules are okay, but as little as possible
    • Generate good maintenance plans for green interventions (lift it up to the ‘omgevingsvisie’ level)
    • Politicians need to be convinced!

Most important topics

  • Main heat stress causes and mitigation measures
  • Communication between politicians, planners and climatologists
  • The importance of regulations and enforcement of rules to implement solutions

Quote of the day

“There are problems but there are also solutions – we can keep our warmer cities liveable!”

Contact

Sanda Lenzholzer
Sanda.lenzholzer@wur.nl

Ulrich Reuter
ulrich.reuter@stuttgart.de

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