The Bucharest City Hall (PMB) will inaugurate on Wednesday morning Romania's largest network of climate shelters.

According to the municipality, 71 public institutions under the City Hall's authority and 200 partner pharmacy locations will open their doors to passers-by needing rest and cooling. 'They will find shade and cool air, water, chairs or armchairs, and in some locations toilets and first-aid kits. Access is free everywhere,' the Bucharest City Hall said.

The indoor shelters operate year-round, following the host institution's schedule. The network now includes almost 300 climate shelters across Bucharest, mapped in real time on an interactive platform available from Wednesday morning at bucuresti-rezilient.pmb.ro. The map shows each shelter's schedule, available facilities, and a section with advice on preventing heat stress.

The platform also integrates the city's public drinking-fountain network, with GPS navigation to the nearest active potable-water source.

The City Hall said that theatres, social-assistance directorates, senior clubs, all branches of the Metropolitan Library, museums, tax and civil-status offices, and Dona and Catena pharmacies have voluntarily joined the Climate Shelter Network. The list remains open. Private operators, NGOs, religious institutions, bookstores, pharmacies and other entities are invited to enrol their facilities by submitting requests to the PMB Environment Directorate; applications are evaluated within 30 days.

The map includes four categories of locations:
- administrative indoor spaces (blue): hydration points, first-aid kits, trained staff;

- public outdoor spaces (orange): shade structures, vegetation, fountains, misting systems;

- mixed indoor-outdoor spaces (violet): museums, cultural centres, community hubs;

- partner pharmacies (green): water, medical kits, seating, cooling.

Municipal councillors approved on April 2 the creation of the climate-shelter network, using public or private spaces adapted to provide thermal comfort during extreme temperatures.

'Bucharest has a wide variety of buildings - theatres, social centres, libraries - already operating daily. Setting up the network does not generate costs for the city. The infrastructure exists; we only need to open it for free public access,' said USR general councillor Bogdan Sabo.

Under the decision, shelters will be accessible year-round, while cooling and hydration facilities will operate seasonally, depending on weather conditions and the technical capacity of administrators. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Irinela Visan; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)