In view of the renewed record temperatures, the Saar Green Party considers a heat protection concept for Saarland overdue. Very high temperatures over several days or even weeks have caused significant damage to nature in recent years. Droughts and the risk of forest fires are also a serious threat to Saarland. But even more, medical professionals warn of the serious dangers to human health caused by extreme heat. Especially for the elderly, young children, and people with health impairments, extreme heat poses an acute threat to life.
The chairwoman of the Saar Greens, Uta Sullenberger, compares the situation in Saarland with France: “France has long been prepared for heatwaves. Seniors living alone, people with disabilities, and those unable to work can register in their city. In the event of a heat-related weather emergency, the social service then monitors the well-being of those affected,” explains Uta Sullenberger.
While lessons were learned from the 2003 heatwave in France, studies show that the high summer temperatures from 2018 to 2020 led to nearly 20,000 heat-related deaths in Germany. Based on the positive experiences of our European neighbors, the Saar Greens also demand that a statewide as well as regional heat protection concept(s) be introduced in Saarland. In particular, the Saar Greens expect the responsible Minister Dr. Magnus Jung and Minister Petra Berg to communicate heat warnings early and recommend measures, similar to their predecessors Bachmann and Jost. However, in the course of climate change, such events are expected to increase based on scientific forecasts. Low-threshold measures will then no longer be sufficient. Therefore, heat protection concepts must be planned to be future-proof now and take into account, for example, regional heat hotspots or special danger points such as senior residences.
At the same time, the Green Party chairman Dr. Ralph Nonninger calls for the protection plan to be supplemented with a heat emergency plan. "In the long term, we cannot rule out an overload of the healthcare system, similar to what happened with Corona. Extreme heat is a weather disaster and must be prepared for accordingly, just like any dramatic natural event," said Dr. Ralph Nonninger. For him, such a heat emergency plan should include special measures to maintain healthcare services or emergency measures in the event of the collapse of critical infrastructures due to extreme heat.
