Carinthia's heat protection plan: trees fight against climate change!

Carinthia's heat protection plan: trees fight against climate change!

Climate change is also noticeable in Carinthia, and that is why the region has now launched a heat protection plan in order to be able to respond better to the growing challenges. This was presented at an event in the St. Veit district, where two climate adaptation projects were presented. The focus is on the sustainable use of nature and resources.

A particularly successful example is the vocational school in St. Veit, which began planting 15 ornamental pear trees two years ago. Not only are these trees beautiful to look at, they also provide shade and cooler air through the evaporation of water. The school's newly designed inner courtyard was planted with trees and other plants to create a pleasant climate and significantly improve the quality of stay. This exemplary project is supported by the renovation of the school, during which a photovoltaic system and underfloor heating with cooling grids were installed. This means that the energy you generate can be used directly for sustainable cooling.

Sustainable developments in Althofen

Meanwhile, a new parking lot with 30 parking spaces is being built in Althofen, which was designed according to the innovative sponge city principle. Care was taken to ensure that the surfaces are not sealed and that ten trees make an important contribution to climate mitigation. Around 3,000 plants on the embankments ensure that the environment also benefits from this sensible measure.

The sponge city principle has proven to be extremely effective. It allows roots to grow under paved surfaces, providing the trees with the necessary resources such as air, water and nutrients. Climate change is having a particularly strong impact in Carinthia, and not just in the Alpine areas. Forecasts point to rising temperatures, changing rainfall and more frequent extreme weather events, which could affect everything from agriculture to tourism to health.

Political initiatives and research

In order to meet these challenges, the German Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change was launched at the federal level. It provides a policy framework that allows different sectors to adapt across sectors. These measures are necessary to cope with the effects of climate change and to prepare urban areas for future challenges. In the regularly published progress reports, the developments of the last few years are analyzed in order to give municipalities scope for action on how urban development can be more climate-friendly.( Federal Environment Agency )

Against the background of these initiatives, it is clear that a close connection between green infrastructure and modern urban planning concepts is urgently needed. Cities must not only respond to current climate challenges, but also anticipate future resource shortages in good time. The key to offering not only current but also future generations an environment worth living in lies in the critical analysis of the climate impacts and the countermeasures that have already been implemented.( MyDistrict )