Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions
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Project

Heat Policy Innovation Hub

The hub brings together scientists and communities to develop and deploy innovative policy solutions that reduce the impacts of extreme heat on human health and well-being.

Media Inquiries

Ashley Ward and other Duke experts are available to speak with journalists and decision makers interested in learning more about extreme heat and potential solutions.

Contact: ni-comm@duke.edu

Over the last 30 years, heat exposure has killed more people in the United States than any other weather-related phenomenon. The combined economic impacts of labor loss, hospital visits, and reduced agricultural yield—along with the health impacts of exposure—make heat among the deadliest and costliest weather-related disasters for humanity.

More about the Heat Policy Innovation Hub →

Heat Safety

Harvested hand picked large sweet potatoes, at Kirby Farms in Mechanicsville, VA image credit USDA

Learn about ways to keep cool without air conditioning, what WBGT is and why it's important, how to plan for athletic activities in hot conditions, and more.

Check out all our heat safety resources

All Projects

North Carolina state capitol image credit Flickr/OZinOH

Tracking State-Level Heat Legislation

The Heat Policy Innovation Hub will provide decision-makers with a roadmap for advancing effective state-level heat governance by identifying trends, common policy approaches, and gaps in state policies related to extreme heat.

Emergency management planners

State Hazard Mitigation Planning

The Heat Policy Innovation Hub has assessed the treatment and definition of heat as a hazard in each US state’s most recent hazard mitigation plan and offered recommendations for improvement.

Pregnant woman with son and daughter

Maternal Health in the Sunbelt

Maternal health is profoundly impacted by chronic heat exposure. Yet the Southeastern US, a region with historically poor maternal health outcomes and high exposure to extreme heat, has seen insufficient research and action on this issue.

Harvested hand picked large sweet potatoes, at Kirby Farms in Mechanicsville, VA image credit USDA

Heat Action Plans

The Heat Policy Innovation Hub is partnering with numerous state and local agencies in North Carolina to create a template for a comprehensive heat action plan, designed to equip counties in their preparation for extreme heat events.

An empty railway sorting station or terminal with lots of junctions. Bright sunlight in background

Bridging Divides: Advancing Cross-Sector Heat Resilience

Bridging Divides is designed to equip policymakers, businesses, and communities with the data and tools needed to address heat impacts across multiple sectors.

Young athlete drinking water

High School Athletics Heat Policy Assessment

Developing a comprehensive understanding of how extreme heat affects student-athletes is essential to creating effective preventive strategies and safety guidelines that prioritize athletes' health and safety.

FEMA community training

Risk Analytics and Insurance Innovation in North Carolina

This pilot program explores how insurance industry tools and innovations could help North Carolina communities protect their people and economies from climate threats.

Angella Dunston speaking at Heatwise

Cooling Communities: Building Resilience to Extreme Heat

Extreme heat is placing growing pressure on communities across the Carolinas, increasing energy costs, straining household budgets, and exacerbating health risks.

Shore of the East River with Headquarters of the United Nations (on the left), New York City

Heat Governance in the United Nations System

The Heat Policy Innovation Hub has partnered with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and the World Meteorological Organization to assess and enhance heat governance across UN entities and international organizations.

Hot sun through blinds. Image credit iStock/SVproduction

HeatWise Policy Partnership

Duke is convening a brain trust of researchers, policymakers, and corporate and community leaders to accelerate protection of US communities against heat events.