Forgotten Fever. How Municipalities (do not) Adapt to Heat Waves.

Heat waves, are assessed as one of these effects of climate change that are to be more frequent (Della-Marta 2007). Moreover, their duration and intensity increases as well (Graczyk et al. 2015). This extreme weather event impacts societies by bringing economic consequences as well as threat for human health. Since the year 2000 Europe was hit by two large heat waves that brought thousands of fatalities: in 2003 Western Europe up to 70 thousands (Robine et al. 2008), in 2010, Eastern Europe about 56 thousands (Munich Re 2011).

Poland, although during the mentioned heat waves was not experienced so severe, also faces problems related to this type of event. Within the years 1989 – 2012, four years with significant heat waves were observed: 1992, 1994, 2006 and 2010. Large cities are at the disposal of different resources (starting with financial, human, infrastructural) to cope with the issue of heat waves. Nevertheless, they are also vulnerable, especially because of the urban heat island effect that mostly strikes large agglomerations due to large population density and concentration of buildings and concrete covered areas.

With these research authors are analysing the problem of municipal preparedness to the risk of heat waves. The focus is on smaller towns in the Wielkopolska region in Poland, with reduced resources when comparing with large agglomerations. It is stated that hardly any efforts are undertaken by municipalities in this respect, even though ageing population of smaller towns increases the risk of dramatic consequences.

The selection of analysed municipalities bases on statistics (from Central Statistical Office of Poland) covering the number of mortality due to cardiovascular disease during heat waves (1992, 1994, 2006, 2010). The communes with the highest number of fatalities, as those mostly experienced, are under investigation. The research is conducted through in-depth interviews.