Vienna fights against the summer heat: This is how we protect our city trees!

Vienna fights against the summer heat: This is how we protect our city trees!

stinging heat is part of the corner in Vienna like the next coffee in the small bakery around the corner. But while the temperatures are shooting up, the city of Vienna ensures in a variety of ways that its over 500,000 city trees act as a green shade. These trees are not only a feast for the eyes, but also important players in the fight against the summer heat. The experienced city gardeners in Vienna, who take care of the trees all year round, is responsible for maintaining these valuable natural resources.

probably the one who finds a shady place under one of the numerous city trees in the heat wave. Over 150 employees support irrigation in summer to ensure that the plants are sufficiently supplied with water. Because young trees in particular suffer greatly from the high temperatures. Especially in the first four years of life, they need special attention to avoid heat stress. Interestingly, trees only develop their full “climate effectiveness” when they are about 20 years old, which makes them a long -term investment for a more pleasant city.

watering system and care

Currently, the city of Vienna, with more than 1,000 automatically controlled irrigation systems, ensures that the plants do not dry up. Younger trees are also irrigated with special “casting bags” that store 75 liters of water in the root area. On hot summer days, the plants need a total of around 400,000 liters of water a day. Despite this intensive care, only 0.5 percent of the trees are "unusual" this year. A gratifying result for plant lovers in the city.

A study by Climate Analytics shows that large, old city trees and a dense leaf can be considered effective protection against heat stress in urban areas. At a time when the city climate is increasingly challenged by climate change, these green giants are indispensable. They not only act as natural air conditioning systems, but also contribute to filtering the air and regulating the microclimate. With this important role, it is hardly surprising that the importance of city and road trees cannot be taken lightly.

challenges from climate change

But the challenges are not easy to cope with. City trees are exposed to enormous stresses due to soil compression, air and soil pollutants and the urban climate. Science shows that many tree species only reach half of their potential lifespan. Climate change also deteriorates the location conditions for the city green, which requires a targeted choice of tree species and suitable locations. The concept of the city of Vienna therefore takes into account climate change as a central factor in the care and reproduction of trees.

other cities also observe attentively how Vienna meets the heat stress. Intelligent urban planning, which promotes generous green areas, can make a decisive contribution to reducing the heat load. The right mix of built -up space and open areas not only supports the well -being of the locals, but also promotes a green, lively city landscape. In an investigation into heat effects in Berlin, it became clear that greened urban area plays a key role in meeting the challenges of climate change.

Overall, it shows that Vienna is on a promising path not only to improve the quality of life of its citizens, but also to actively contribute to combating the climate crisis. The careful care of the city trees could prove to be decisive for an even more livable urban culture in the coming years.

For more information on the strategy and measures of the city of Vienna, interested readers can access the following background articles: City and Grün and Environmental Authority .