Free drinking water: This is how Dresden protects itself from the heat wave!

Free drinking water: This is how Dresden protects itself from the heat wave!

With the heated times we are facing again this year, concerns about health are once again great. Current heat waves pose a serious risk, as the health department in Dresden emphasizes. The temperatures recorded in Dresden last year - a total of 25 hot days with over 30 degrees - were the second highest number since records began in 1961. In this critical situation, the city launched an information campaign to not only make it easier for citizens to access drinking water, but also to show preventive measures against the dangers of heat. On the websites www.dresden.de/wärme and www.dresden.de/trinkbrunnen There are maps with the locations of drinking water fountains and refill stations where you can fill your bottle with fresh water.

Health Mayor Dr. Kristin Klaudia Kaufmann is certain: “The free drinking water supply is part of public services and is particularly important in view of climate change.” There are currently not only eleven public drinking water fountains in Dresden, but also around 80 refill stations in shops, cafés and public institutions. These infrastructures are intended to protect particularly vulnerable groups such as children, seniors and the homeless and to prevent dehydration. The campaign also provides tips on how best to behave on hot days in order to prevent health problems.

Climate Change: A Growing Challenge

But drinking water supply is not the only pressing issue. Climatic changes also have direct health consequences. According to an analysis by Deutschlandfunk Climate change is the greatest health threat to humanity, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO). As global temperatures rise, most recently 1.55 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the boundaries between seasonal temperatures are blurring, increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves.

Older people and people with previous illnesses are particularly affected by this. Over 47,000 people in Europe died from heat-related complications in the summer of 2023 alone, with around 3,000 deaths in Germany. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) supports this information and works on climate protection-related health issues. The crucial issues are not only the direct risks from heat, but also the indirect consequences such as the spread of diseases by invasive species such as the Asian tiger mosquito, which can transmit tropical diseases.

Tips for the hot season

The city of Dresden focuses on education and prevention. Citizens are not only offered access to water sources, but also advice to protect themselves from both the heat and new health risks. The mobile version of the city map allows people to check their own location and find the nearest source of drinking water. It's worth using these resources to face the heat not only with a cool head, but also well hydrated.

Given the health threats posed by climate change, it is important that each individual thinks for themselves and others. Adapting to these changes could be crucial to reducing heat-related deaths, and information and appropriate infrastructure are essential to achieve this.