Metropolitan network of climate shelters- Spain

Country

Spain

Keyworld

Climate shelters; public infrastructure; community support

Level:

Macro

Macro

Main result

Climate shelters

Title

Xarxa metropolitana de refugis climàtics (XMRC) (Metropolitan network of climate shelters)

Date 2022 - present

Objectives

The main objective of the XMRC program is to use Municipal facilities acting as climate shelters to help people in times of high temperatures.

Location /geographical coverage

City of Barcelona

Organisation responsible for good practice

Ajuntament de Barcelona (City Council of Barcelona).

Stakeholders and partners

Ajuntament de Barcelona (City Council of Barcelona) and CUESB - Centre d'Urgències i Emergències Socials de Barcelona (Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgent Care Centre).

Short summary

The main idea of this network is to group together Municipal facilities such as libraries, local facilities in the neighbourhoods, municipal sports centres, parks and gardens, schools and museums acting as climate shelters, providing thermal comfort conditions in periods of extreme heat. While these places maintain their normal uses, they can also be used as spaces to get away from high temperatures, especially for the people most vulnerable to extreme heat.

Impact

In 2020, an average of 200 shelters existed in the city. This means that 95% of people in Barcelona have at least one climate shelter within a ten-minute walk from their home. Even so, the City Council continues to work to increase the number of facilities and activities with the priority being given to neighbourhoods with less coverage and with the most vulnerable populations. In addition to the network of climate shelters other social services are activated, such as the Municipal Telecare Service held by the Home Support Service, offering information to the 22.000 users, having made an average of 90.000 calls in 2020.

Innovation

There are climate shelters all around the city consisting of indoor and outdoor facilities to provide thermal comfort in high temperatures scenarios. Certificated maps are distributed in partner facilities to indicate the places people can refresh, rest and drink water in comfort at room temperature. The identification is made of two signs: an outdoor green coloured sign, and an indoor blue coloured sign mentioning in big words: “Refugi Climàtic” (climate shelter). These climate shelters are, therefore, one of the strategies available to the city of Barcelona to try to alleviate the negative effects that heat waves have on people. As said above, adding to the network of climate shelters, the city’s various social services are ready to respond to people who find themselves in vulnerable situations. In case of maximum risk, the Centre d'Urgències i Emergències Socials de Barcelona (CUESB) acts as a point of reference, as a service that can transfer vulnerable people to climate shelters if necessary, and organise a specific team in public streets to distribute water, offer information and, if needed, warn the emergency medical services. In addition, the Home Support Service offers a decentralised service - Municipal Telecare Service - that calls its users offering advice and measures on prevention to deal with extreme heat.

Lessons learned

Existing climate shelters in the city were a success to periods of extreme heat, however work should be done in order to boost the number of facilities in the network and provide more cover so that in the near future everybody in the city has a space with the necessary characteristics within five minutes of where they are. Improvements should also be planned in the comfort quality of services offered at climate shelters, as well as communication and dissemination to promote the network among the general public.

Sustainability

The Ajuntament de Barcelona (Barcelona City Council) programme shows some good solutions for the prevention of adverse health impacts by activating not only health and care facilities, and social services in the city, but also by collaborating directly with the general community to prevent adverse health impacts. This means all stakeholders work in collaboration to help the city, especially for those to whom extreme heat can be deadly such as older adults and babies. Using existing facilities from public services and from the general community is an economic, social and environmentally sustainable and easily replicable practice in any other city, since it comprises existing resources as well as complements existing preventive services. In a 10 minute walk any citizen can be near a climate shelter in the city which makes this project a preventive and innovative solution during the surge of extreme heat.

Replicability and/or up-scaling

A replicable practice can be attainable as the project demonstrates high replication potential to other cities. City Councils can activate their Municipal services and the general community to respond to this kind of high-pressure scenario by starting to raise awareness and collaborating directly with people in the city.

Contact details

Ajuntament de Barcelona:

https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/ca/

Agència Desenvolupament Econòmic Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona:

https://agenciaeconomica.amb.cat/

+34 932 23 51 51

CUESB - Centre d'Urgències i Emergències Socials de Barcelona:

https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/dones/es/centro-de-urgencias-y-emergencias-

sociales-de-barcelona-cuesb

+34 900 703 030

Related Web site(s)

https://www.amb.cat/web/ecologia/sostenibilitat/canvi-climatic/refugi-climatic