National heat action plan for Germany

Possibilities for the design and implementation of a national heat action plan for Germany (NatHAP)

Problem

Since the 1970s, heatwaves have been occurring with increasing frequency and intensity in Germany and Europe, and this trend is expected to continue. Heat puts a strain on human health and can lead to serious illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases and – in extreme cases – even death. The heatwave in the summer of 2003, in which 70,000 people died across Europe, was an impetus for addressing the issue. Extreme and prolonged heat events not only have a significant impact on people's health, but also represent a challenge for the healthcare system. Special measures are therefore needed to adapt to these changing conditions and effectively counteract potential risks and hazards.

Against this background, the second Adaptation Action Plan (APA II) for the implementation of the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (DAS) in 2015 already stipulates that there is a need to draw up Heat Action Plans (HAP) – confirmed by APA III (2020). Heat action plans are an effective tool for preparing people and structures for extreme heat events and responding to them. In 2008, the WHO formulated guidelines for the implementation of heat action plans with a focus on multi-scale adaptation concepts. On this basis, the federal and state governments developed "Recommendations for the preparation of heat action plans to protect human health" in 2017. These consist of eight core elements based on the WHO guideline. In addition to educational work and measures in the health sector, these include the use of a heat warning system and measures in the areas of urban planning and construction.

Since its publication, the first heat action plans have been drawn up at municipal level in Germany or are currently in progress. Activities in this area can now also be observed at federal state level (e.g. Hessian Heat Action Plan). At the same time, the possibilities of designing and implementing a heat action plan at national level in Germany are also being discussed. The "NatHAP project" (running from 2023 to 2026), which was launched in the second half of 2023, was commissioned by the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federal Environment Agency to analyze the possibilities and design of a national heat action plan from a technical and legal perspective in order to achieve both short-term and sustainable health-related heat protection through its implementation. The heat protection activities of the Federal Ministry of Health will also be taken into account in an integrative manner.

Goals

This research project aims to investigate the extent to which a national heat action plan for Germany could be designed and legally anchored. The aim is to determine which specifications would be useful at national level and fall within the remit of the federal government or can be legally prescribed by the federal government. The municipalities, federal states and other interest groups and federal authorities will be involved in the analysis. The aim is also to work out how federal, state and local government control measures can work together to ensure the conditions for harmonized, effective health protection against increasing heat.

Approach

The project is divided into 5 work packages (WP): 

• WP 1 aims to analyze the procedures in other states as well as the federal states and municipalities in the implementation of national, regional or local heat action plans. It is intended to provide the background for the work in the subsequent work packages. 
• WP 2 comprises the analysis of relevant aspects of the "Recommendations for the preparation of heat action plans" from 2017 with regard to their medical and environmental health effectiveness in the context of public health protection. 
• The subject of WP 3 is a policy-related analysis of the feasibility of individual measures in a heat action plan. In doing so, the contractors take into account administrative science aspects and the classification of measures in specific policy fields.
• As part of WP 4, the legal connection of individual measures to existing or possibly to be created legal structures will be analyzed. In addition, the possibility of a legal basis for a national heat action plan will be investigated and discussed. 
• WPs 1 to 4 will each be accompanied by a thematic conference in which the relevant issues will be discussed with experts from science and administration in the respective subject areas. 
• In WP 5, the final review and synopsis of the results from WPs 1 to 4 will take place. In particular, it should be examined whether the analyzed and proposed technical, political and legal aspects of the measures can be designed and implemented. The results are to be presented at a final conference.