Cartagena launches local HEATSAFE campaign to protect vulnerable residents from extreme heat

Together with the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia, the Cartagena City Council has launched a local campaign of the HEATSAFE European project, an initiative aimed at preventing the effects of extreme heat. This project is a combination of informational campaigns, printed and digital materials, community activities, and local media outlets to strengthen the vulnerable residents’ protection against extreme heat until mid-August.

Protecting the most vulnerable populations

To be specific, the campaign will outline an array of self-protection habits and inform citizens, particularly regarding the groups most vulnerable to extreme heat including elderly people, young children, and people with conditions or health complications.

The HEATSAFE campaign forms part of the project outlined by the Interreg Euro-MED programme, which supports measures of adaptation against extreme heat in Europe, which has in recent years become an increasing threat, particularly to vulnerable populations.

Mapping out high-risk areas and groups

Cartagena’s local plan is based on a prior analysis of the municipality regarding which areas are particularly exposed to heat, as well as which population groups are at higher risk.

These population groups include:

• Elderly residents and young children, particularly those under three years old or with intellectual disabilities
• People with health complications
• Isolated people
• Disabled people
• Homeless people
• Pregnant women
• Women with caregiving responsibilities
• Outdoor workers
• And other people who have a reduced capacity to adapt to extreme heat

Practical safety recommendations for daily life

Some of the heat protection recommendations outlined by the campaign include: staying  hydrated, avoiding sun exposure during the hottest hours of the day, seeking out cool or air-conditioned spaces, following the advice of  health authorities, and paying special attention to  the elderly  or those living alone. The ultimate goal is to provide the public with clear, useful, and easily applicable information for daily life during periods of high temperatures, which will be communicated via infographics and short explanatory videos.

Europe’s unprecedented ‘heat dome’

This initiative comes as Europe swelters under an unprecedented and historic summer heatwave that has shattered meteorological records across the continent. Temperatures in regions like southwestern France and Spain have soared past 44°C, and major urban centres are experiencing dangerous “tropical nights” where temperatures fail to drop low enough for buildings to cool down, worsening heat stress for vulnerable residents and neighbours. In the midst of this issue, local frameworks like Cartagena’s HEATSAFE campaign are becoming essential to mitigate the life-threatening impacts of this changing climate crisis.