In June this year, Barcelona recorded a record number of sweltering nights, with temperatures below 26 degrees. In São Paulo, throughout the summer, school days were shortened and outdoor activities were canceled due to the unbearable heat in the classrooms.
Far from Europe, more than 2,300 people died in 12 cities in July. Tan the ground months before, record temperatures This hurt South America, putting hospitals under pressure and forcing millions of people to remain under pressure. The heat became more mortal and the most unusual consequence of the climate crisis, cities are on the front lines.
Extreme heat challenges even healthy people’s ability to regulate arterial respiration. For the elderly, children and people with chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease or other non-communicable diseases (ENT), increasing the risk of serious illness or death. The international community has not acted for a long time. The right thing to do now is not to let the crisis get worse. Exposure to deadly urban heat has tripled since the 1980s As some national governments retreat from climate change, the responsibility for protecting people falls on cities, often in countries that are not primarily responsible for this crisis. Leaders meeting in Brazil for COP30 must treat heat as a public health emergency and invest in prevention and protection at the urban level. Inaction will cost lives and reduce quality of life and working conditions.
At night, when the body should be recovering, temperatures remain high because buildings also absorb heat during the day and release it in the dark.
Many cities face the challenge of “Urban heat islands“-where cement and asphalt trap heat. More green space is needed to reflect or provide shade. At night, when the body should be recovering, temperatures remain high because buildings also absorb heat during the day and release it into the darkness, warming their surroundings. The impact is felt throughout the city, however, in poorer neighborhoods, temperatures can rise even more than in wealthier neighborhoods. The people least responsible for emissions are those who pay the highest price.
These cities have the power to mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis. In Barcelona, June this year was the hottest on record, with temperatures expected to continue to rise, with longer and more frequent heatwaves in the future.
To protect its residents, the city adopted a Heating plan an integral part of its broader climate strategy. The plan expands shaded areas and green spaces, integrates water sources and climate shelters, installs refrigeration systems in schools and homes and provides support to vulnerable groups. During hot weather, Barcelona activates emergency services and shares public alerts and practical guidelines to help residents stay safe as the city adapts to a warmer future.
In São Paulo, a series of data shows a steady increase in maximum temperatures, with marked differences across the city: up to 8-10°C between the greenest, least dense neighborhoods and the most urbanized areas. The hallazgos highlight the key role that vegetation plays in cooling the city.
Local solutions are important because action at national and international levels is not moving at the pace needed
To protect its residents, the city is implementing High temperature operationwhich increases the capacity of hostels, installs cooling pads and activates hydration points during heat waves. São Paulo is exploring how these temporary measures can be implemented as part of a permanent space cooling network to better protect its most vulnerable residents.
Local solutions are important because action at the national and international levels is not moving at the pace needed. Throughout history, cities have demonstrated a particular ability to tackle straight lines. Cities can act urgently, implementing specific interventions neighborhood by neighborhood: planting trees, building reflective surfaces and opening cooling centers. The survey shows us that only an increase in forest cover could prevent more than a third of heat-related deaths.
Barcelona and São Paulo are collaborating through this project with cities from five continents. Healthy Cities Alliance—a global network of more than 70 cities committed to creating healthier, safer and more equitable urban centers by reducing noncommunicable diseases and injuries. Extreme heat is one of the deadliest consequences of climate disasters and cities should not ignore it. City leaders around the world can take steps to identify vulnerabilities, make their streets greener, and treat heat as a public health emergency. The costs of redeveloping neighborhoods, building shelters and planting trees will be high, but the costs of inaction, which on average result in human losses, will be much higher. To protect people’s health, prevention is cheaper, smarter and more compassionate.
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