The number of elderly people in Berlin is increasing - they are particularly vulnerable to heat. (Symbolic image)
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According to experts, climate change already poses a serious risk to human health in Berlin. As a densely populated metropolis, the city is particularly affected by climate-related stressors, according to the "Berlin Climate Risk Analysis" presented by the environmental administration.
Among other things, heat-related deaths have reached a significant level in Germany, according to estimates by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), and are particularly pronounced in large cities. According to the data, heat stress on the population has increased. In Berlin, for example, there was a significant warming in the 30 years from 1991 to 2020 compared to earlier reference periods.
The average annual temperature has risen by 0.7 degrees compared to the period from 1971 to 2000, and by as much as 2.1 degrees Celsius compared to the period from 1881 to 1910, when records began. In addition, the five warmest years since 1881 have all occurred in the past ten years. According to the data, the number of summer days with maximum temperatures of at least 25 degrees Celsius and hot days with temperatures of at least 30 degrees Celsius has also risen in Berlin.
Comparing the period from 1991 to 2020 with that from 1971 to 2000, the average number of summer days increased from 39 to 49 per year and the number of hot days from 8 to 13. The number of tropical nights, when the temperature does not fall below 20 degrees, rose from 1.1 to 1.3. According to the data cited in the Klimarisikoanalyse (Climate Risk Analysis), the number of ice days has decreased from 20 to 17 per year. According to the data, heat stress has a particularly strong impact on vulnerable population groups such as the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions, and young children.
According to the Berlin-Brandenburg Statistics Office, Berlin had a population of around 3.7 million at the end of 2024. The over-65 age group comprised around 707,400 people. Berlin's population is expected to continue growing slightly, with the older age groups increasing more rapidly than the younger ones, thereby also increasing the size of the vulnerable population.