After the recent heat records in North America and the fires and heat waves in southern Europe, the Free Voters parliamentary group and FÜR Karlsruhe see clear signals to take measures against extreme weather phenomena. In 2018, the SPD parliamentary group applied for the design of a heat plan in Karlsruhe, but to date no concrete steps have been taken to be prepared for extreme heat. “This must not be delayed any longer,” says the FW|FOR parliamentary group.
“We’re worried about Karlsruhe. We see that catastrophes caused by extreme weather do not avoid Germany. It is good if measures are initiated now in order to be ready if Karlsruhe is affected. That’s why we campaigned for an administrative staff to draw up a heat or emergency plan in the past municipal council. As far as we can, we want to protect the citizens of Karlsruhe,” explains City Councilor Jürgen Wenzel.
This administrative staff is based on the Corona administrative staff of the city of Karlsruhe. This includes working meetings of several departments and actors. The administrative staff, as in the case of the corona pandemic, only comes together in the event of a crisis, according to the administration’s response. In the event of a disaster, they can implement ad hoc decisions or measures. Since 2019, a staff position has therefore been sought to draw up the heat plan, and project funds have already been applied for.
“Unfortunately, not much has happened in the matter of the project office,” says City Councilor Friedemann Kalmbach, “but we welcome the fact that our application has given impetus to the creation”. In the municipal council, the SPD also called for the heat plan to be put back on the agenda. The council will now address the issue in the Environment and Health Committee.
