Climate change in Gmünd: City council blocks necessary tree protection!

Climate change in Gmünd: City council blocks necessary tree protection!

Schwäbisch Gmünd, Deutschland - Schwäbisch Gmünd is facing major challenges in view of the progressive climate change. After the devastating flood in June, which once again revealed the susceptibility of the city for extreme weather events, the local authorities have caught up with measures to adjust the air conditioning. The new climate adaptation manager, Benjamin Birami, supports the city to work out a comprehensive concept in order to better prepare for the late consequences of global warming in the future. This includes projects for creating fresh air, the greening of the city center and the use of innovative approaches such as the sponge city concept, as can be seen from the information from schwaebisch-gmuend.de

climate adjustment against extreme weather

In a meeting of the local council, however, a proposal for the introduction of a tree protection statute was rejected. This should have regulated the protection of trees in the core city, which was considered important in view of the increasing temperatures and the associated need to create shadow places. Green City Councilor Karl Miller had emphasized that the existing green areas play an essential role in the cooling of Schwäbisch Gmünd, but the majority of the council voted for a rejection, like the Remszeitung

The climate adaptation concept, which was accompanied by numerous workshops and consultations in the local council, provides, among other things, the shading of streets and squares, the education and prevention regarding the effects of heat and heavy rain as well as the expansion of environmental education. While the Greens have campaigned for the introduction of strict tree protection measures, the focus is currently primarily on the implementation of already planned measures to improve climate protection in the city. This could also be crucial in the future to maintain the quality of life in Schwäbisch Gmünd and to develop the city sustainably.