City Launches Comprehensive Measures
Including Establishment of Heatwave Shelters
Paju City in Gyeonggi Province is making every effort to protect the safety of its citizens from the ongoing heatwave.
Paju City is making every effort to protect the safety of its citizens from the continuous heatwave. A water spraying truck is spraying water on the road. Photo by Paju City
On July 11, Paju City announced that from July to September, it will implement a comprehensive heatwave prevention plan. This plan will involve all departments under the Environmental Bureau, including the Climate Crisis Response Division, Resource Circulation Division, Waterworks Division, and Sewerage Division.
This comprehensive plan to safeguard the health and safety of citizens and workers includes: operating water spraying trucks throughout the day to mitigate the urban heat island effect; strengthening worker protection measures such as adjusting working hours and providing personal cooling equipment; establishing heatwave shelters for climate-vulnerable groups; enhancing water quality inspections at communal drinking water facilities (spring water sites); and implementing safety measures at construction sites and basic environmental facilities.
Paju City will deploy a total of 14 water spraying trucks, focusing on climate crisis-vulnerable areas and roads in residential zones. During heatwave advisories, the city plans to intensively spray water during the hottest hours (11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) to mitigate the urban heat island effect.
Additionally, the city will newly establish two heatwave shelters in Wollong-myeon and Munsan-eup, and will install shade canopies, climbing plants, misting cooling systems, and outdoor benches with cooling and heating features to ensure citizens can use these shelters safely.
For sanitation workers and temporary employees, working hours will be adjusted flexibly, and personal cooling gear such as cooling vests and sleeves will be provided. For field workers at pipeline construction sites and basic environmental facilities, the city will strengthen safety measures by implementing two-person teams, measuring hazardous gases before work in confined spaces, and improving ventilation. The city will also distribute guidelines to prevent asphyxiation accidents in confined spaces and to respond to heatwaves.
Furthermore, the city will increase the frequency of water quality inspections at communal drinking water facilities (spring water sites) and promote climate insurance for Gyeonggi Province residents to ensure swift support in the event of climate-related damages such as heat-related illnesses.
Park Juntae, Director of the Environmental Bureau, emphasized, "As this summer is expected to bring prolonged heatwaves with higher temperatures than usual, we will respond thoroughly. We will continue to devote all administrative resources to ensure that every citizen can have a safe and healthy summer."
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