In der Hitze der Stadt: Klimawandel und der Lebensraum „Makartviertel“ in Linz. Forschungswerkstatt SO23

As part of a one-year research workshop in the Bachelor's degree program in Social Work, the effects of increasing heat stress due to climate change on the urban living space in Linz's “Makartviertel” district were investigated. The statistical district of Bulgariplatz, where the quarter is located, already has an above-average number of tropical nights - a clear sign of the urgency of socio ecological adjustments. The project was carried out in close cooperation with the City Council of Linz. The aim was to record the perspectives of residents on the climate crisis, to ask social institutions about their strategies for dealing with heat and to analyze specific places in the district that are either visited or avoided when it is very hot. The students worked in three groups with different methodological approaches: Mixed-method surveys conducted with residents, qualitative interviews with social institutions and an interactive mapping (needle method) on the use of public spaces in hot weather. The results clearly show that heat is perceived as a burden in everyday life - especially by people with lower incomes, older people or those without a permanent residence. Social institutions are already trying to implement initial measures with limited resources but are coming up against structural and financial limits. Public places such as Bulgariplatz or Unionkreuzung are avoided in the heat, while places with shade, water and greenery such as Andreas-Hofer-Park are sought out. The project makes it clear that climate adaptation is not just a technical task, but above all a social one. Climate change has a direct impact on the social fabric - social work is called upon to take it seriously as part of its present and future task and to play an active role in shaping it.
The three experts point out that the term "climate displacement" is problematic from a legal perspective because climate-related changes do not constitute an official reason for displacement under the Geneva Refugee Convention. 11% of the first-generation migrants surveyed stated that "climate" was a motive for their migration. For the people who migrated as refugees, political circumstances were their primary reason, while weather conditions and precarious water supplies were indirect reasons for their flight. The social work students perceive climate migration and climate displacement as highly relevant topics for social work practice although climate change related topics are only rarely teached at applied universities.
To do justice to the self-image of social work as a human rights profession, it is beneficial to raise awareness that climate protection also involves protecting people. More courses on climate change and climate protection at applied universities are needed, and lobbying is necessary to ensure that climate-related reasons for migration and flight get legally recognized in the future.