Participatory workshops

In February, as part of the EmCliC+ Societal Engagement project, we conducted a series of participatory workshops on adaptation to heat in Warsaw. The participants were adults over 65 years old – a group particularly vulnerable to the negative health consequences of heat stress. These people were the experts for us, from whom we wanted to learn what are the main problems and how to better adapt to heat in the city.

We organized the workshops in cooperation with the the Association of Drama Practitioners STOP-KLATKA. We conducted them at the Day Care Facility for seniors in Targówek and at the Intergenerational Activity Center in Białołęka. Each group participated in three meetings. In total, 18 people took part in the workshops.

Based on previously conducted research, using drama techniques, including bodywork and role-playing, together with the workshop participants, we analyzed the main problems related to coping with the increasing heat in Warsaw. We also discussed the possible individual, public and systemic solutions for better heat adaptation. During the last meeting, the participants worked on detailed ideas that would help older people cope with heat in Warsaw. These included public cooling places where you could spend time pleasantly; available drinking water; shaded benches; cooling excursions, allowing seniors to leave the city during the day. These ideas were presented to and discussed with an official from the Office of Air Protection and Climate Policy, Warsaw City Hall, who joined us on the last day. We will use the solutions and ideas developed during the workshops to prepare recommendations regarding heat adaptation in Warsaw.

The workshops were organized as part of the Science & Society bilateral initiative, funded by the Norway and EEA grants 2014–2021.