Empowering Decision-Makers with Data and Strategy
Extreme heat affects multiple sectors—health, energy, agriculture, labor, transportation, and housing—yet solutions often remain siloed. The Heat Policy Innovation Hub’s Bridging Divides project is supported through a grant from the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS). The project is designed to equip policymakers, businesses, and communities with the data and tools needed to address heat impacts across systems and sectors.
This project quantifies the sector-specific costs of extreme heat, enhances data accessibility, and fosters collaboration across jurisdictions. By integrating rigorous analysis with direct engagement, Bridging Divides translates heat risk into actionable policy solutions at local, state, and national levels.
Project Components
Quantifying the Impact of Extreme Heat by District
- Measuring sector-specific heat impacts across health, energy, agriculture, labor, transportation, and housing.
- Developing district-level briefs to provide policymakers with localized insights.
- Creating an interactive digital tool to enable cross-sector collaboration and heat adaptation planning.
Gap Analysis of Heat-Related Data
- Identifying missing or underutilized datasets needed to accurately quantify heat-related losses.
- Highlighting barriers to data integration and opportunities for improved coordination.
- Informing decision-makers about where data investments are most needed.
Literature Review & Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Conducting a systematic review of methodologies for calculating the economic impact of extreme heat.
- Evaluating the effectiveness of existing cost-benefit analyses related to heat adaptation.
- Establishing best practices for assessing the return on investment for preventative and protective measures.
Policymaker & Private Sector Engagement
- Hosting legislative visits and roundtables in Washington, DC to foster dialogue between policymakers and industry leaders.
- Developing targeted outreach strategies to inform regulatory and business decision-making.
- Develop methods of risk assessment across six sectors.
- Convening the entities needed to make a difference.
Piloting the National Rural & Coastal Heat Strategy
- Launching the Southeast pilot to test a scalable heat resilience framework.
- Conducting early visits in the Midwest and Plains states to expand the strategy nationwide.
- Engaging local, state, and regional stakeholders to tailor solutions to rural and coastal communities.
Why It Matters
Cross-sector coordination is critical—heat doesn’t impact communities in isolation. By bridging divides between sectors and jurisdictions, this project ensures data-driven, regionally relevant, and economically viable solutions.
Decision-makers need clear, actionable insights. The project's district-level briefs, interactive tool, and direct policy engagement provide the information and strategies necessary for heat resilience planning.
National scalability is key. The lessons learned from the project's Southeast pilot will inform heat resilience efforts in other high-risk regions, shaping a cohesive national strategy.
