Heilbronn fights against the heat: water lever brings cooling!

Heilbronn fights against the heat: water lever brings cooling!

Heilbronn, Deutschland - Heilbronn shows how urban planning and nature can play together harmoniously in order to counteract the effects of climate change. The square in front of the Science Center Experiment got a new face: instead of sealed areas, green oases were created, which are equipped with heat -resistant tree species. The high columns that spray fine water vapor are particularly striking in order to ensure a little artificial drizzle and therefore urgently required cooling. The area, which was redesigned last year, turns out to be a real heat killer-a successful measure to combat the increasing temperatures in the city, such as SWR reports .

With the innovative water lever, the temperature should now be reduced up to 11 degrees. This is particularly noticeable on hot days, on which the water nozzles from 26 degrees are automatically active, which is particularly cheering for youngest visitors. Initial positive experiences with a small Klimwald on the large Theresienwiese, where numerous trees and perennials were planted and water fog pillars were installed, show that heat protection in Heilbronn is improved, but is not yet perfect. The current heat check of the German Environmental Aid shows that Heilbronn did better compared to the previous year, but was nevertheless considered with a red card for the heat load. Many cities in Germany are badly affected by the heat load - over 12 million people suffer from it, as the German environmental aid states.

Hitzelleben in German cities

A total of 190 cities within Germany were examined, with 31 of them received a red card for high heat load. The result shows that urban heat development is a serious topic. Analyzes around the new "Heat Feature Index" drew a dark picture that occurs due to high temperatures and dense sealing. Another example of the successful implementation of such measures can be found in Bad Mergentheim, where the goose market with 16 new climate -resistant trees has been redesigned. On hot days, this should be about three degrees cooler than before, which makes everyday life considerably easier for the residents.

The importance of city trees

An essential part of the urban upgrading are the trees - they not only donate shadows, but also improve air quality. Nevertheless, the efficiency of a tree depends not only on the species, but also on age. According to the Federal Environment Agency, older trees are valuable because they can donate better CO2 recordings and shadows. However, many street trees only reach a fraction of their lifespan, which is favored by compacted soil and sealed surfaces. A sustainable handling of this valuable resource is essential to reduce the loads from heat waves in the future. A rethinking in urban planning is required to maintain old trees and increase the quality of life in the urban areas, so describes National Geographic .

A strategic approach in the preservation and new planting of city green is crucial. The city of Heilbronn plans to plant around 100 trees on the university's premises by the end of the year in order to further expand this green oasis and to counteract the heat waves with a good hand. The challenges remain great, but the will to make the city cool and worth living is strong.