In Vienna, the increase in urban heat is the most strongly perceived consequence of progressive climate change. But not only average temperatures over the whole year are on the rise: Particular stress is caused by more and more frequent and longer heatwaves characterised by high temperatures over several consecutive days with only minimal cooling-off during the night hours. Moreover, heat is not evenly distributed across the city: The heat island effect is felt especially in densely built-up inner-city districts – here, temperatures are in part significantly higher than in the outskirts and environs of Vienna. For city dwellers, heat constitutes a source of growing stress that can lead to severe health impairments and even to death.

All over the world, heatwaves are already among those natural disasters with the highest number of fatalities. They especially affect vulnerable individuals and risk groups including elderly and socially isolated people, persons in need of care, individuals with chronic or mental diseases, pregnant women, young children or people living and working under particularly difficult conditions. For this reason, it is the goal of the present Heat Action Plan to proactively define measures that are necessary both for the prevention of overheating in the city and for coping with heat when it actually occurs. This is to prepare above all the health facilities, care and nursing institutions of Vienna for heat-related emergencies and protect the population against the negative health effects of heat.

The emphasis of the Heat Action Plan is on heat-related ad-hoc measures and on measures that must be taken at relatively short notice to be well prepared for hot spells during the summer months. For this purpose, the Heat Action Plan specifies 29 key measures, half of which target the entire urban population, while the second half focuses on the particular needs of specific vulnerable groups. Further measures are aimed at the long-term avoidance or reduction of heat in the city – however, these measures are mentioned in the Heat Action Plan only by way of example and described in greater detail in other documents of the City of Vienna, such as the Vienna Climate Guide.