The heatwave warriors

WMO Office

The UNO and several other institutions are actively engaged in curbing heatwaves and mitigating their disastrous impact on our lives.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) aims to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. The Paris Agreement, signed by 197 countries, aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The UN Climate Adaptation Summit, held in January 2021, brought together global leaders to discuss and accelerate efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change, including extreme heat events. The UN also supports various adaptation projects, including those aimed at enhancing the resilience of agriculture, water resources, and urban infrastructure.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and its partners provide heat forecasts and warnings to help governments and communities prepare for heat waves. The UN also supports the development of heat action plans, which provide guidance on how to reduce heat exposure and protect vulnerable populations during heat waves.

The UN and its agencies conduct awareness-raising campaigns to promote behavioral changes that can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of heatwaves, such as reducing energy consumption, using public transportation, and planting trees.

Several non-UN organizations too are actively involved in the war against extreme heat events  

Heat Health Early Warning Systems (HHEWS) is  an initiative of the World Meteorological Organization and the World Health Organization aimed at providing early warning of heat waves and supporting the development of heat health action plans.

Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) is an international network of researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers working to improve understanding of the health impacts of heat and to develop strategies to reduce them.

European Heat Wave Alliance is a coalition of European organizations working to raise awareness of the impacts of heat waves and to promote measures to curb them.

Heat Resilient Cities is a project of the World Bank aimed at helping cities in developing countries prepare for and respond to heat waves and other climate-related hazards.

Cool Roofs and Pavements Toolkit is a resource developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to help building owners, policymakers, and others understand the benefits of cool roofs and pavements in reducing the urban heat island effect.