Gwangsan District in Gwangju Steps Up Heatwave Response to Prevent Heat-Related Illnesses

Operation of 22 Ice Water Freezers... 100 Bottles Stocked Daily
Real-Time Monitoring in Outlying Areas with Drones and Patrol Vehicles
Six Water-Spraying Vehicles Circulate the City... Reducing Road Radiant Heat
Expansion of Cooling Infrastructure Including Shade Structures and Rest Areas

On July 11, Gwangsan District in Gwangju announced the launch of the "Gwangsan-style Heatwave Escape Project" to respond to the ongoing heatwave. As part of this initiative, the district will focus on operating the project until August 29 to prevent heat-related illnesses and other damage.

A view of the Gwangsan District Office in Gwangju.

This response plan consists of expanding the distribution of ice water freezers, strengthening drone surveillance, and providing rest areas for outdoor workers. Gwangsan District has increased the number of ice water freezer locations from six to 22, now including the district office and 21 administrative welfare centers in each neighborhood. Each freezer will be stocked daily with 100 bottles of ice water, and any citizen may take one bottle per person.

Heatwave prevention patrols will also be intensified. The district will operate heatwave prevention patrol vehicles two to three times a week from noon to 5 p.m., visiting rural and outdoor work sites to distribute ice water and heat illness prevention supplies. In remote areas where vehicle access is difficult, drones will be deployed for real-time monitoring. The drones will check surface temperatures, the density of activity, and the availability of shade to determine whether to install mobile cooling shelters.

Water-spraying vehicles will also be operated to lower urban temperatures. Until the end of September, the district will deploy six water-spraying vehicles twice daily in three regions?Eoryong, Songjeong, and Sinheung; Wolgok, Suwan, and Hanam; and Cheomdan?to reduce the perceived temperature on roads with intense radiant heat and improve the pedestrian environment. In addition, 208 shade structures will be installed at major crosswalks in the district, and three cooling fog systems and 411 cooling shelters will be operated.

Park Byungkyu, head of the district office, stated, "Extreme heat is no longer a temporary weather anomaly but a disaster in our daily lives. We will expand cooling infrastructure that citizens can truly feel, ensuring a safe summer where no one is left behind."