Five tips to deal with the heat were printed on the bottles to emphasize the importance of drinking water, staying cool and checking medical prescriptions for heat effects. Even though this advice sounds simple and logical, many people do not know for example that the elderly experience less thirst and therefore often forget to drink. For them it is important to get reminders to drink every now and then to avoid dehydration.
Deputy Mayor Bredemeijer spent the morning at the supermarket Albert Heijn in Laak to hand out the bottles. Since the beginning of Covid-19, the first opening hour is reserved for the elderly to do their groceries while keeping distance, therefore we were better able to reach them. People were happy to see that attention was being paid to the risks of the heatwave. One lady took some extra bottles for her fellow residents at the nursery home to pass on the advice to them.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to prepare The Hague for heatwaves. Resilient The Hague contributes to this effort by bringing in knowledge from cities from the Resilient Cities Network through a Community of Practice. Cities like Sydney and New York have been affected by extreme heat and The Hague can learn from these cities. In addition, Resilient The Hague aims to connect the work of multiple departments and partners who work on climate adaptation, health but also emergency response together. Heat touches upon many different fields and domains of the city, which is why it is necessary to make an integrated effort to manage the impact of extreme heat.
