Overview of cooling interventions for individuals during heat stress
June 2025
During hot periods, the risk of heat stress increases significantly. For vulnerable groups, such as the elderly or people with fragile health , this can have serious consequences. Therefore, GoHot has listed several cooling measures, assessing them for effectiveness, accessibility, scalability and environmental impact.
What do you find in the survey?
The overview distinguishes between different types of cooling interventions:
Measures that cool the environment, thus indirectly cooling the individual.
Measures aimed directly at the individual.
These direct measures are further divided into:
Internal cooling measures (such as cold drinks and ice slurries)
External cooling measures (such as fans and cold showers)
Clothing measures (such as cooling vests)
Important considerations in cooling interventions
Not everyone reacts the same way: What works to cool down depends on the person. A fan usually works well when it is less hot inside the house than your skin. But if it's really hot inside, the fan mostly blows warm air. If you sweat a lot, it still helps, because the sweat evaporates and cools you down. But some people - such as the elderly or those on certain medications that suppress the sweat response - sweat less. For them, a fan in extreme heat can actually be dangerous. What helps then: wet the skin (with a wet washcloth or spray bottle) AND then turn on a fan. The water on the skin evaporates and that cools you down.
Combining works best: You don't have to choose just one solution. Using several things at once often works better. Think: a fan AND wet clothes, or a cold washcloth AND a little air conditioning. This way the measures reinforce each other.
Some solutions don't work until later: A tree in the garden or a green roof helps keep your home cooler on hot days. But that takes time: it takes years for a tree to grow big enough. That's why it's smart to combine quick solutions (such as cooling with water or a fan) with long-term measures.
Type of heat: It matters whether it is hot and dry, or hot and humid. In dry heat, fans and things like wet cloths or a nebulizer work very well. In humid heat, it's more difficult. Because there is already a lot of water in the air, sweat (or water on the skin) evaporates less well. Then a fan helps less or even not at all. In that case, it's better to opt for active cooling, such as a cooling vest or air conditioner. In doubt about the type of heat? You can check the humidity via weather apps (such as Buienradar or Weeronline) or via KNMI's measuring stations, which are updated every 10 minutes: KNMI - Weather - Observations
Sustainability also counts
In addition to effectiveness, GoHot also takes a critical look at the environmental impact of various cooling strategies. For example, attention is paid to the raw materials that make up the interventions and energy consumption.
In the report of WP1.2 describes in more detail how heat type and personal characteristics can influence the choice of cooling intervention, and the environmental impact.
