The HEAL (Heat Adaptation for Vulnerable Population Groups) project is a pioneering initiative aimed at developing innovative strategies to protect at-risk groups from the increasing threat of heat waves, particularly in urban environments like Heidelberg.
By leveraging near-real-time sensor data and the needs of heat-sensitive individuals, the project creates heat-stress-avoiding routing solutions. These solutions will be made available through an interactive web application and analogue maps, improving daily life and mobility for vulnerable populations during extreme heat events.
Develop and implement strategies to reduce heat stress for at-risk groups, such as the elderly, people with pre-existing health conditions, and young children.
Create a routing application that identifies and suggests cooler, shaded paths using near-real-time data, helping users avoid areas with high heat stress.
Integrate insights from various disciplines, including geography, geoinformatics, and social sciences, to create a holistic approach to heat adaptation.
Involve affected groups directly in the research process to ensure the solutions are tailored to their specific needs.
Research Groups of Heidelberg University: GIScience Research Group and TdLab Geography are part of Heidelberg University’s Institute for Geography.
The HEAL project is a transdisciplinary cooperation of HeiGIT (Heidelberg Institute for Geoinformation Technology), the GIScience Research Group of Heidelberg University, both headed by Prof. Dr. Alexander Zipf, and the TdLab Geography of Heidelberg University, headed by Dr. Nicole Aeschbach.
The project “Heat Adaptation for Vulnerable Population Groups”, funded by the Baden-Württemberg Foundation as part of the research programme “Innovations for Adaptation to Climate Change”, is a pioneer in the field of adaptation measures to climate change-related heat events due to the combination of the chosen methods. The project runs from June 1, 2021, to September 30, 2024.
Frequent and Severe: Heat waves, severe weather, and droughts are increasing due to climate change.
Urban Vulnerability: Cities with extensive surface sealing and low greenery are especially prone to heat stress.
Health Risks: Vulnerable groups face increased risks like circulatory problems and heat stroke.
Measured Overheating: Specific squares and districts in Heidelberg show high levels of overheating.
Impaired Quality of Life: Heat stress in these areas significantly affects residents’ well-being.
Urgency in Urban Areas: Adaptation strategies are urgently needed, particularly in cities like Heidelberg.
Support for Vulnerable Groups: Tailored strategies are essential to ensure daily life and mobility under heat stress.
Heat waves, severe weather events, and droughts are becoming increasingly frequent due to anthropogenic climate change. These extreme weather conditions are particularly problematic in urban areas, where factors like surface sealing (e.g., concrete and asphalt) and insufficient greenery exacerbate the effects of heat stress. As a result, cities become heat islands, where temperatures are significantly higher than in surrounding areas.
The health and well-being of citizens are severely impacted by these conditions. Vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, individuals with pre-existing health conditions, and young children, are particularly at risk. These populations are more susceptible to circulatory problems, the exacerbation of chronic illnesses, and heat stroke. Studies have shown a direct correlation between prolonged and intense heat periods and increased mortality rates, especially among these groups.
In Heidelberg, the effects of increasing heat stress are both measurable and perceivable. Data collected by geographers at Heidelberg University have identified specific squares and districts within the city that experience particularly high levels of overheating. This localized heat stress significantly impairs the quality of life for residents, making it difficult to maintain daily routines, especially for vulnerable populations.
The implementation of the transdisciplinary design is realised through the involvement of affected groups of people (senior citizens, people with pre-existing conditions, families with young children), the organised civil society (senior citizens’ clubs, family networks) as well as the city administration of Heidelberg.
Figure 2: Together with the target groups researchers developed individual adaptation strategies and protective measures to enable everyday life and mobility even during hot days (photos: Kathrin Foshag).
In addition to providing information and adaptation concepts on heat stress in general, the aim of HEAL is to enable heat-adapted mobility for people in risk groups in particular via an app.
For this purpose, the project will use near-real-time sensor data to identify and model areas of increased heat stress. Based on the data and existing climate analysis maps, statistical prediction models will be developed. The results will be incorporated into navigation along shaded routes. The information obtained will be processed and made available via an interactive application, as analogue materials and maps.
In this manner, the knowledge base on the effects of heat events on risk groups will be expanded for the Heidelberg area, individual adaptation strategies will be explored and implemented using near-real-time data, and administrative measures will be developed together with the city administration.
We are planning to expand the project to other cities and welcome inquiries from interested parties at heal@uni-heidelberg.de.
Prof. Dr. Alexander Zipf
Dr. Nicole Aeschbach
Dr. Kathrin Foshag
Johannes Fürle
apl. Dr. Sven Lautenbach
Dr. Stefan Gumbrich
Dr. Sascha Fendrich
A feature on the HEAL project highlighting its impact on heat-stress navigation in Heidelberg, aired on August 29, 2024.
The relevant segment starts at 8’40”.
Die HEAL-App aus Heidelberg berechnet für Fußgänger Routen mit der geringsten Hitzebelastung und erleichtert so Stadtspaziergänge an heißen, sonnigen Tagen.
A podcast discussing how the HEAL app helps Heidelberg residents navigate heat-stress by suggesting shaded routes.
Das neue Forschungsprogramm Innovationen zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel der Baden-Württemberg Stiftung unterstützt Projekte, die Strategien für den Umgang mit den Folgen des Klimawandels entwickeln. Die Projekte nehmen dabei vor allem den Schutz betroffener Menschen und mögliche Anpassungsstrategien in den Blick.
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