(Bloomberg) -- Germany should introduce midday breaks for workers similar to the Spanish siesta to withstand intensifying summer heat brought about by climate change, according to a top health official.

Parts of the country have faced soaring temperatures in recent weeks, putting this summer on track to be one of the hottest on record. That poses risks for the productivity and wellbeing of workers, said Johannes Nießen, chairman of the Federal Association of Physicians in the Public Health Service.

“We should follow the work practices of southern countries during heat,” Nießen told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland this week. “Getting up early, working productively in the morning and taking a siesta at noon is a concept that we should adopt in the summer months.”

Urbanization and aging populations are combining with global warming to make heatwaves among the deadliest natural hazards, killing hundreds of thousands of people each year, according to the World Meteorological Organization. 

While last year’s energy crisis spurred Germany to rethink how it will meet its future heating needs, the country is only just beginning to evaluate how it might respond to greater cooling demand as the intensity and frequency of heatwaves increases. Last week, the government adopted a “climate adaptation law,” which creates a framework for federal, state and local governments to devise strategies for cooling cities and creating more shade. 

Nießen, who is also a member of an expert panel advising the government, advocated that workers must have sufficient ventilation and be able to wear light clothing while carrying out their duties. Research published this month showed that Germany experienced over 8,000 heat-related deaths in the summer of 2022, the third highest in Europe. 

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