Climate adaptation at daycare centers and elementary school

Investigation of heat stress at daycare centers and elementary school

With the Jena Climate Adaptation Strategy (JenKAS), a city-wide basic concept for adapting the city of Jena to the consequences of climate change was developed between 2009 and 2012. It identified heat stress for the Jena population as a major future climate change-related impact for the city of Jena.

Children and adolescents, especially young children (up to around 6 years of age), are considered to be particularly sensitive to heat and intense sunlight. As a rule, they spend most of their time in the outdoor areas of daycare centers and schools when they are most exposed to heat (between 12 noon and 3 pm).

The aim of the pilot project carried out between April and October 2017 was therefore to improve the quality of stay in these facilities on days with particularly high heat stress. By examining all municipal facilities for key climate adaptation factors (especially heat), small-scale and property-specific recommendations for action are to be derived. These can be used by the building owner Kommunale Immobilien Jena (KIJ) for the energy and climate optimization of the municipal building stock (technical building equipment and associated open spaces).

The aim of the pilot project was, on the one hand, to develop a methodological framework and also to examine the extent to which the thermal load on municipal facilities can be identified and, if possible, quantified. On the other hand, the results should also provide specific recommendations for action for the individual facilities.

The final report shows the central project results and provides recommendations for action for 19 selected municipal facilities. It can be downloadedfrom the website of JenKAS - The Jena Climate Adaptation Strategy.