Why is heat a problem?

Prolonged heat dehydrates people, causes overheating, and can sometimes lead to life-threatening situations such as heat strokes. Therefore, we work together with municipalities, public health services, housing corporations, and other partners. Together we ensure a living environment that remains healthy and pleasant even during hot summers.

What are we doing against heat stress?

European cooperation for local solutions
Thanks to participation in the 18-month long European program Pathways2Resilience, we can strengthen our approach to heat stress. We are collaborating with Climate Alliance Netherlands and GGD Gelderland-Zuid on a project to raise awareness, develop policies and measures to reduce heat risks for the most vulnerable people in heat-sensitive neighborhoods.

Strengthening local heat plans of municipalities
All Gelderland municipalities now have a local heat plan. This plan includes measures to warn and support vulnerable residents in a timely manner during days with tropical temperatures (30 degrees Celsius or higher). Furthermore, the Gelderland public health services are developing a Workbook for the Development of Local Heat Plans. This will inform and inspire municipalities to take the next step in the development of their heat plans. We will share this workbook soon.

The Gelderland subsidy Integral Action Plan Heat
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) developed the Heat Menu. This provides an overview of what municipalities can do to become heat-proof at health, building, and area levels. The Guidance Integral Action Plan Heat is a complete step-by-step plan for municipalities to start working on the heat theme. More can be read on the website of RVO. Thanks to the Gelderland subsidy Integral Action Plan Heat, 18 Gelderland municipalities can create an Integral Action Plan Heat. The Heat Menu helps with this. Half of this subsidy is funded by the European subsidy from the P2R project.

Collaboration for cooler rental homes
20 housing corporations, public health services, and the Arnhem and Nijmegen University of Applied Sciences (HAN) are investigating how social rental homes can be better protected against heat. They are testing measures, improving communication with residents, and helping corporations to make adjustments. This collaboration will continue until the end of 2025.

Green in the neighborhood
Together with IVN Nature Education, Climate Alliance Netherlands, and Collaborating with Results, we are making Gelderland neighborhoods greener. The green spaces provide cooling and improve how people interact in existing neighborhoods. It also creates a more pleasant place to live and encourages movement. We are particularly focusing on vulnerable neighborhoods (neighborhoods that receive extra help). In these neighborhoods, homes heat up quickly on hot days, making a green and cool environment even more important.

A guide to future-proof building in Gelderland
Together with municipalities, water boards, and other parties in the construction sector, we have created a guide for future-proof building. This guide inspires building a healthy and safe living environment for current and future generations. It also emphasizes the need to consider weather extremes, such as heat and extreme rain, when designing new buildings and redevelopment sites.

In this way, we are building together towards a future-proof, healthy, and livable province. Even on hot days. Only together can we reduce the effects of heat, drought, and waterlogging.