Green roofs to fight heat
Cost evaluation of adaptation measures for cities and municipalities
Climate research has shown that heat waves, floods and heavy rains will occur with increasing frequency in Germany and can incur enormous economic damage. The costs and benefits of countermeasures have been difficult to measure in a systematic way up to now. A new study by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has corrected this. It is a first-time cost-benefit analysis of concrete climate change adaptation measures. The greening of roofs to combat summer heat in cities proves to be a measure that is particularly promising and beneficial. Other efficient measures include the renaturalisation of floodplain forests to protect against flooding and the use of heat-resistant surfacing to counter road damage. “Although our climate policy has been successful, some of the consequences of climate change cannot be avoided. We must now therefore adapt to its consequences”, said UBA President Jochen Flasbarth. “As the cost-benefit analysis by the Federal Environment Agency shows, there are a number of measures which the Federal Government, Länder and local governments can already initiate today at relatively low cost.“
