Rising Heat, Rising Risks: A Roadmap for Safer and Greener Cities in the Global South

The Handbook on Urban Heat Management in the Global South, developed by the World Bank Group in collaboration with the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, and partners from universities and policy networks across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, presents a stark warning. Urban heat is no longer just an environmental nuisance; it is a multidimensional development crisis. Rapid urbanization, combined with climate change, is pushing cities in the Global South toward levels of heat that are dangerously unlivable. The report underscores that many of these cities are warming at nearly double the global average, with the urban heat island effect making already sweltering environments unbearable. In informal settlements, where corrugated iron roofs intensify heat and trees are sparse, temperatures rise even higher, putting millions of lives and livelihoods at risk.

Heat as a Silent Killer and Social Divider

The handbook is emphatic in framing heat as a silent killer. Unlike hurricanes or floods, its toll is hidden in hospital admissions, economic losses, and shortened lives. Vulnerable groups such as women, children, the elderly, and informal workers are disproportionately exposed. Outdoor workers in construction or street vending often have no choice but to endure punishing conditions that force reduced hours, resulting in both health hazards and economic precarity. Women, especially in caregiving roles, face a double burden: they not only endure the heat themselves but also shoulder responsibility for caring for children and the sick during prolonged heatwaves. The report shows how heat intensifies inequalities, cutting across income, gender, and geography, turning urban heat management into a matter of social justice as much as climate resilience.

Building Resilient Cities Through Data and Design

One of the report’s central messages is that data-driven planning is the bedrock of effective heat management. Too often, cities in the Global South lack precise information on where and whom heat affects most severely. The handbook urges governments to invest in urban heat mapping, deploy sensor networks, and integrate climate models that can pinpoint hotspots and vulnerable populations. From there, it calls for embedding heat concerns into land-use planning, zoning codes, and building regulations. Design solutions are practical and often low-cost: reflective rooftops, ventilated street layouts, tree-lined avenues, and shaded public spaces. An infographic in the handbook vividly demonstrates a temperature difference of up to seven degrees Celsius between shaded and unshaded streets, an everyday reality that translates into comfort, productivity, and even survival. These solutions are framed not as luxuries but as essential for resilient urban growth.

Governance, Finance, and the Politics of Cooling

The document also shines a spotlight on the political and financial challenges of managing heat. Governance gaps are acute, as responsibilities for health, environment, disaster response, and urban planning often fall into separate silos. Without coordination, responses remain fragmented and ineffective. The handbook points to successful cases where cities formed cross-sectoral task forces to align efforts and engage with local communities, ensuring interventions were both inclusive and practical. Financing heat management remains a hurdle, but the report highlights pathways: tapping into international climate funds, issuing municipal green bonds, and encouraging private-sector investment in cooling infrastructure. It stresses that heat management is not a sunk cost but a high-yield investment that saves lives, safeguards productivity, and enhances long-term economic stability.

Lessons From Cities on the Frontline

The most compelling sections are those that showcase how cities are already innovating under pressure. Ahmedabad, India, is profiled for its groundbreaking Heat Action Plan, which has combined early warning systems, public education campaigns, and hospital preparedness, resulting in significant reductions in heat-related deaths. Medellín, Colombia, demonstrates the transformative power of design with its “green corridors,” where tree-lined pathways cut through the city, cooling neighborhoods while boosting biodiversity and public well-being. In Africa, cities like Kampala and Dakar are experimenting with modest but effective interventions, such as community-driven tree planting and climate-sensitive housing built with local materials. These case studies reveal a critical truth: solutions do not always require vast sums of money, but they do demand political will, community participation, and long-term planning.

The handbook closes with a powerful call to action. It argues that failure to act will erode hard-won development gains, worsen inequalities, and push millions into deeper vulnerability. Yet the report also insists that the tools for change are already in hand. Managing urban heat can transform cities into greener, cooler, and more livable spaces if policymakers, planners, and communities work together. The authors frame this not only as a climate challenge but also as an opportunity to reimagine urban living in the Global South, one where health, dignity, and equity are safeguarded in the face of rising temperatures. The message is clear: the creeping crisis of heat must be tackled now, before it hardens into a catastrophe.