Speaker series 2024 #3 | addressing extreme heat

As cities around the world continue to grow, they face escalating challenges from the impacts of climate change, with extreme heat emerging as a critical concern. Urban areas, with their dense populations and infrastructure, are particularly vulnerable to the health, economic, and environmental ramifications of rising temperatures. The phenomenon of urban heat islands, where cities become significantly warmer than their rural surroundings due to human activities, exacerbates the urgency to address this issue. The interplay between urban development and climate change is complex, with the need for space often conflicting with the imperative to implement heat mitigation strategies. As the globe warms, cities must not only adapt to cope with current temperature extremes but also innovate to mitigate future risks. The third Cities on the Frontline session of the year, jointly organized by Resilient Cities Network and C40, “Addressing Extreme Heat: Learning from Paris at 50 degrees” presented an opportunity to delve into the challenges and opportunities of managing extreme heat in urban environments through the presentation of a recent extreme heat emergency exercise conducted by the city of Paris. Our speakers Pénélope Komitès, Deputy Mayor, City of Paris; Julie Roussel, Head of the Climate Change Adaptation Department, City of Paris; Fanny Cohen, Ecological Transition Project Manager, City of Paris, and our respondents Owen Gow, Deputy Director for Heat Initiatives at the Arsht-Rock and Bushra Afreen, CHO Dhaka reflected the important collaborative work needed to not only adapt to cope with current temperature extremes but also innovate to mitigate future risks.

https://resilientcitiesnetwork.org/speaker-series-2024-3-addressing-extreme-heat