News
Climate spaces to protect citizens from extreme heat
- August 6, 2026
- Meteorology and Climatology
The Meteorology and Climatology Area is developing the Extreme Heat Adaptation Plan for the Valencian Community together with the Generalitat Valenciana and the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.
Extreme heat has become one of the most serious climate risks to public health. Unlike other phenomena whose effects are more immediate and visible, heat often acts silently: it worsens pre-existing health conditions and particularly affects the most vulnerable people.
In the face of increasingly frequent, intense and persistent episodes, prevention and adaptation must be translated into concrete measures capable of reducing exposure, strengthening response capacity and protecting citizens.
Within the framework of PIMA Adapta, the Environmental Promotion Plan for Climate Change Adaptation, the PIMA ADAPTACALOR-CV pilot project promotes the development of capacities to respond to extreme heat in the Valencian Community. The plan is structured around five pillars: information and dissemination, public awareness, technical and community training, social participation and support networks, and evaluation and continuous improvement.
One of the first actions developed has been the definition and dissemination of the Climate Spaces Network of the Valencian Community.
Climate spaces are public places prepared so that citizens can protect themselves, hydrate and rest during episodes of extreme temperatures. To be truly effective, they must meet clear criteria related to thermal comfort, accessibility, drinking water, rest areas, safety, opening hours and signage, and they must be easy for the population to identify and locate.
These spaces are especially important for older people, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with chronic diseases and other groups that are particularly sensitive to high temperatures. However, they are intended for the whole population.
Climate spaces do not replace health services, nor do they solve the impacts of heat on their own. They are one element of a broader strategy that must integrate information, alerts, planning, training and community support networks.
Adaptation is not only about reacting when a heatwave arrives. It means preparing in advance the spaces, services, information and support networks that help reduce its impacts.
In the face of a growing and often silent climate risk, having safe, accessible and nearby spaces is a basic infrastructure for climate resilience, public health and social protection.
Check the document: https://www.ceam.es/guia-de-criterios-para-definir-y-catalogar-espacios-climaticos/
