In collaboration with the Forschungsdepartment Kinderernährung (FKE) at the Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Ruhr University Bochum, the project investigates the risks young children face regarding water loss under changing climatic conditions.

Available drinking water and dietary habits will play a crucial role in the global future. To better cope with the changing environmental conditions caused by climate change, numerous drinking water recommendations exist for adults. However, the target group often overlooked, yet very vulnerable, consists of young children of kindergarten age. Children require more drinking water relative to their body weight compared to adults. Additionally, their proportionally larger body surface area results in greater water loss through sweating in warm temperatures.

To develop drinking water recommendations for young children, the study measures water loss due to sweating and changes in hydration status during activity. Medical measurements, complemented by climatological measurements from the Bochum Urban Climate Lab, are conducted on hot and neutral days, both before and after outdoor playtime. Furthermore, these measurements are contextualized within a broader framework of climatic changes in Bochum over an extended period to better forecast climatological conditions for drinking recommendations. This approach aims to reduce the risk of dehydration under urban climate change conditions.