Bracing for Over 3000 Excess Summer Deaths in Germany by 2024
Over 3000 deaths attributed to extreme heat during the summers of 2023 and 2024 in Germany. - Excessive heat claiming around 3000 lives in the summer seasons of 2023 and 2024 in Germany
Here's the lowdown: sweltering hot days, even those that don't cool down at night (average temp of 20°C), can already pack a punch. They can increase mortality rates. And if this heat sticks around for a few days or more? Well, the death toll soars. After about three to four days, it reaches a sustainably high level.
But here's the catch - cities take the brunt of this heat strain and higher heat-related mortality. Compared to cooler rural surroundings, cities form what's known as heat islands. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in southern and western Germany, while it's less apparent in the north due to its proximity to the sea. However, heat-related deaths are still a summer staple in rural areas.
In the words of Dirk Messner, UBA President, "Climate change in Germany is already a challenge in many areas of life today - health included. We need to significantly improve our handling of heat." As climate change escalates, summer excess mortality is set to get worse.
For the past four years, the UBA and the Robert Koch Institute have been refining calculations on deaths caused by heat. Their project analyzed various aspects of so-called excess mortality due to heat.
- Heatwaves in Germany
- Health and Climate
- Alzheimer's and Heatwaves
- Dessau Heat Strain
- Environmental Agency in Germany
- Ministry for the Environment in Germany
Addressing heat-related mortality in Germany due to climate change involves several strategies, both proposed and implemented, focusing on adaptation and mitigation measures:
Proposed Strategies
- Health Considerations in Climate Policies: Integrating health considerations into climate change policies, such as developing health adaptation and heat-health action plans, can prepare communities for extreme weather events.
- Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Lowering greenhouse gas emissions is crucial. This can be achieved by phasing out fossil fuels and making all sectors, including healthcare, more sustainable.
- Robust Early Warning Systems: Implementing early warning systems for heatwaves and extreme weather events is vital. This helps in timely preparedness and response to reduce mortality.
- Urban Planning and Green Spaces: Using green-blue infrastructure (GBS) can help combat urban heat island effects. This means increasing green spaces and parks to cool urban areas naturally.
Implemented Strategies
- German Climate Adaptation Strategy: Germany has introduced a comprehensive climate adaptation strategy, aiming to safeguard living conditions by increasing resilience to climate change impacts. This strategy includes monitoring and assessing climate risks to identify areas needing urgent action.
- Monitoring and Assessment: Regular monitoring reports and climate risk assessments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation measures and guide future strategies.
- Local Action: Municipalities are encouraged to address climate impacts through local adaptation measures, promoting a decentralized approach to managing heat-related risks.
These strategies aim to reduce heat-related mortality by enhancing resilience, improving health services, and mitigating the effects of climate change through sustainable practices.
- In light of the projected increase in heatwaves due to climate change, there is a pressing need for Germany to prioritize health and environmental science in its climate policies.
- Scientific studies, such as the one analyzing excess mortality due to heat, can provide valuable insights into the implications of climate change on medical-conditions and health-and-wellness in Germany.
- To effectively curb heat-related deaths, it's essential to implement strategies that include the development of health adaptation and heat-health action plans, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and investing in robust early warning systems for extreme weather events.
