The Welcoming Climate Shelters of Barcelona

To address shade inequality and rising heat deaths, the American Forests launched a digital tool in 2021 that scores geographic areas based on tree canopy and surface temperature, as well as other factors such as income, employment, race, age and health. It then calculates a Tree Equity Score and maps out the regions that have the greatest need for trees. With this information, Tucson aims to plant one million trees by 2030, and has already planted 120,000 over the past four years.

In Phoenix, Arizona, a citywide tree-planting initiative is slowly increasing canopy cover to reduce the urban heat island effect in neighborhoods that need it the most. Residents pick between several varieties of desert-adapted trees, which are planted on their property by professional arborists, and take care of them with a provided kit.

As deadly heat waves become more common, cities are looking to increase social infrastructure and community connections to keep vulnerable community members safe from the heat.

The Nomad Alliance bus is a warming center on wheels that provides people experiencing homelessness a safe place to stay. The bus accepts anyone who needs help, so long as they help keep the bus clean, and can take in about 20 people at a time.

Organizations in cities across the United States, including Philadelphia and Tucson, are simultaneously combatting urban heat and hunger by planting fruit trees and edible plants that provide shade and food that community members can harvest.

Heat officers appointed by local city council and the Transform Freetown initiative work to make the city greener and more livable by helping residents cope with extreme heat, particularly women working as outdoor vendors. Local heat officers have introduced measures like installing cool pavements, mirrored roofing and planting trees to keep residents cool. In 2022, local city council installed shade covers to protect 2,300 street vendors from the heat and heavy rain in open-air markets.

Several California cities have adopted a new approach to clearing homeless encampments that prioritizes housing over displacement, called Inside Safe. The model involves spending 6-8 weeks getting to know each encampment resident individually, matching them with appropriate housing, moving people gradually and minimizing police involvement. Los Angeles's Inside Safe program has moved 5,200 people indoors over three years, with approximately 25% securing permanent housing.

Khus (vetiver grass) curtains are a traditional, climate-friendly cooling method in India that is seeing a revival as extreme temperatures rise. Locals hang woven curtains made from dried vetiver roots in doorways or windows and spray them with water throughout the day. As hot air passes through them, evaporative cooling reduces indoor temperatures. This low-cost, low-energy solution has been implemented in homes and public areas like bus stops to combat the heat.

In Nigeria, nearly half of the population doesn’t have access to electricity grids, making solar a cheap and versatile option to bring affordable, reliable and eco-friendly power to millions. The country is using solar mini-grids, small installations that produce up to 10 megawatts of electricity. Nearly 120 mini-grids are now installed, powering about 50,000 households and reaching about 250,000 people.

Mutual aid program Light Up Navajo is helping families get connected to the power grid through volunteer workers and private and federal funding. Over the past five years, crews have built miles of powerlines across the reservation, powering nearly 850 households, many of whom are receiving power for the first time.