Tackling rising heatwaves in cities

As Singapore, New York and Melbourne have shown, cities can mitigate the impact of heatwaves if they have the will to create green infrastructure

May 2024 has been particularly severe for India, as the country endured one of the harshest heatwaves in recent memory. Temperatures were reported to be 1.5 degrees Celsius higher than ever recorded. The climate crisis, exacerbated by El Niño, has pushed temperatures to unbearable levels, resulting in fatalities and highlighting the urgent need for climate-resilient and smart solutions across all sectors to prevent more damage.

As the global urban population grows, more people are exposed to extreme weather conditions, which disproportionately affect vulnerable and marginalised communities. According to a study conducted by C40 (Cities Climate Leadership Group), a coalition of 96