Extreme Heat Risk Governance Framework and Toolkit

Extreme heat is one of the world’s most dangerous climate challenges, threatening health, livelihoods, and infrastructure. This new resource provides practical tools for national and local authorities to strengthen coordination, planning, and investment to protect people and systems from escalating heat impacts.

The Framework defines how governments, communities, and institutions can work together to reduce risks in the short, medium, and long term, from early warnings and emergency response to long-term planning and resilience. It offers a flexible, evidence-based approach that can be adapted to any setting, whether a low-resource community, a growing city, or a national government.

Developed through collaboration among more than a dozen global experts and institutions, the Framework incorporates lessons from real-world case studies across different regions. It will be piloted in several countries in the coming year, with updates informed by local experience and feedback.

The Heat Policy Innovation Hub helped develop this resource in collaboration with the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN), United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), as a contribution to the United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat (2024). Created through the joint initiative Supporting Extreme Heat Risk Governance, this resource is part of a larger effort designed to help improve international and multisectoral coordination on heat risk reduction, helping countries and communities better prepare for rising temperatures.