Take Action

Confronting the risks of rising temperatures calls for action from all of society.

Rising temperatures impact people and economies – exacerbating social inequalities, and causing illness and death. They impact the environment – contributing to more intense wildfires, worse air quality, and water scarcity.

High temperatures also impact critical infrastructure and utilities, causing additional challenges for those living in urban heat islands or substandard housing.

Action on climate change, as well as comprehensive preparedness and risk management can save lives now and in the future.

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Key Areas for Action

Climate Action

Mitigating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions is imperative and urgent. Heat-related problems are destined to increase for decades to come, due to greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere that are rapidly warming the earth’s climate. However, the degree and rate of future warming and impacts beyond 2100 will depend on the success of climate change mitigation efforts. Meeting the targets of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement is critical for us all.

Preparedness

Preparedness should happen long before an emergency. Actors and information should be coordinated before and during the heat season, complemented by early warning – early action systems during a heat emergency.

Location and context-specific risk management

Localized understanding of heat risks, risk perceptions, community capacities, and available cooling options are critical to effective intervention design. Epidemiological studies, social science, risk assessment and urban heat mapping can provide insights that address the differentiated needs of vulnerable groups into risk planning and effective policies and responses.

Integrated Heat Information Systems and Partnerships

The multi-sectoral impacts of heat require a multi-sectoral response. Individuals and experts from public health, labour, social sectors, physiology, medicine, sports, environment, meteorology, climatology, architecture, engineering, urban planning all have an important role to play in managing and adapting to the risks of extreme heat.

Integrated Heat Partnerships and Information Systems are critical mechanisms to bring people and knowledge together to help better prepare for, and respond to, extreme heat.

Collaborative efforts can more effectively identify and harmonize existing capabilities, and define and deliver actionable information to reduce health-related risk long before, during, and leading up to heatwaves.

Integrated Heat Health Systems in Action

National Integrated Heat Health Information System (USA)
The NIHHIS is a multi-agency integrated system that defines demand for climate services that enhance resilience, develops science-based products and services, and improves capacity, communication, and understanding in order to reduce morbidity and mortality from extreme heat.
Hong Kong Heat Partnership
This collaborative multidisciplinary partnership of academic, government, and civil society partners works to address heat across time scales and key sectors in Hong Kong.

Heat Action Plans and Warning Systems

Heat risk management requires organization and coordination of many actors. Heat Action Plans are an important mechanism to strategically coordinate action.

Heat Action Plans at the city, state/provincial, or federal level bring actors together to better understand and manage heat risk. Heat Action Plans and protocols can also apply to schools, hospitals, sporting and mass gathering events.

Heat Health Warning Systems are an integral part of Heat Health Action Plans, and are provided by National Meteorological Services. They provide heat advisories, warnings, and watches to alert decision-makers and the public so that timely action can be taken.

Heat Action Plan Elements

Inter-sectoral coordination
Heat health early warning and alert systems
Communications and public outreach
Reduction in indoor heat exposure
Special care for vulnerable people
Preparedness of the health and social care systems
Long-term urban planning
Real-time surveillance
Evaluation

Example Heat Action Plans

Example Heat Planning Guidance

New Zealand: Heat Health Plans: Guidelines
Europe: Heat-health action plans: Guidance
India: Guidelines for Preparation of Action Plan – Prevention and Management of Heat Waves

Example Heat Plan Evaluations

Manage and Adapt to Extreme Heat

Heat Risk Management Framework

	Short term	Long term
Pre-response	Heat Action Plans Early warning systems Communicating risks Building capacity for better system response and preparedness Clarity of role and coordination among agencies Pooling resources	Climate risk reduction in alignment with heat reduction Policy development Regulation Setting heat standards and implementation for urban planning, infrastructure, industries, services like transport, building design, road, water resource management, etc.
Response	Activate a heat alert and the local response Public awareness and community outreach Prevention of heat related illness Identification of heat illness and its treatment as per clinical guidance	Recordings of morbidity and mortality Emergency response readiness Community engagement
Post-response	Care and treatment for saving lives Monitoring and health surveillance Risk communication and alerts Promoting coordination for integrated response	Analysis of trends Risk profiling of cities and region Strengthening support system for better response

In the Body

At Home

In the City

At Work

In the Environment

In Sports

Interventions

A broad range of protective actions can be taken by many different actors to prevent heat illness and deaths.

These actions can be taken at different times, levels, and under certain conditions – for example long-term policy-level interventions for subtropical cities, school or sports-specific heat plans, or individual actions that can be taken at home during a heatwave.

Coming Soon: Stay tuned for our Heat Action Platform – a catalogue of evidence-based heat health interventions to support local planning and action.