Perspectives of climate change adaptation of building areas against heat waves

Abstract

Summer heat stresses the inhabitants of densely populated residential areas. It is one of the most serious environmental impacts. Heat can affect human health and lead to additional deaths even under current climatic conditions. Climate projections show a clear change signal for summer heat in the future. This means an increase in hot days and tropical nights, especially in urban quarters without networked green and fresh air corridors. This results in a high need for action with regard to summer heat protection and climate change adaptation measures. This paper makes a contribution to the 11th SDG “Sustainable Cities and Communities” with the target to improve the adaptation to climate change and resilience to disasters in terms of summer heat. It deals with the question of how adaptation measures can reduce the burden of summer heat on residents in their homes with the aim to decrease the disaster risk. The paper reviews current knowledge about common adaptation measures, summarizes first results of thermal simulation calculations for the evaluation of effectiveness of adaptation measures, including the effects of residents’ behaviour, and makes recommendations for preventive action. The results show that the development of sets of adaptation measures for summer heat waves must not be regarded separate neither from adaptation for cold winter seasons nor from climate protection regarding energy efficiency. Further, it shows the importance of including the aspect of acceptance by the residents in the planning process to make climate change adaptation of their buildings successful.