German cities ranked poorly for heat‑wave protection in DUH report

The Deutsche Umwelthilfe evaluated 195 German cities in its "Hitze‑Check" and found many are insufficiently protected against rising summer heat. Cities in Lower Saxony such as Hannover and Langenhagen, in Rhineland‑Palatinate including Ludwigshafen, Worms, Bad Kreuznach and Neuwied, and in Baden‑Württemberg like Offenburg, Lahr and Mannheim received red‑zone ratings for factors such as surface temperature, tree‑shade coverage and the proportion of sealed surfaces. Only Kiel and Wuppertal achieved green‑zone status across most categories.

The assessment uses an index that combines population density, average surface temperature, green‑area share and the "heat‑impact index". Offenburg recorded the lowest tree‑cover at about 13 % of its area, far below the 30 % target recommended by forest scientists. Across all surveyed cities more than 900,000 trees have disappeared between 2018 and 2025. DUH’s federal managing director Barbara Metz described the trend as "alarmierend" and urged stricter rules for urban greening and de‑sealing of surfaces.

The report warns that intensified heat waves, driven by climate change, pose heightened health risks, especially for the elderly and those with pre‑existing conditions, underscoring the urgency of adapting city infrastructure.