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.

HeatWise DC—a continuation of the HeatWise Policy Partnership launched in 2024—brought together 62 cross-sectoral leaders to confront the rising threat of extreme heat. Held in Washington, DC, the three-day event focused on rural vulnerability; national security and defense; and finance, insurance, and industry. Participants highlighted that while there are existing tools and knowledge to address heat, policy, funding, and delivery systems remain disconnected from the realities on the ground.

This report examines the landscape of extreme heat management among United Nations entities and International Organizations for the first time, identifying challenges, opportunities, and strategies for improving collaboration and governance to support the United Nations Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat.

This synthesis report identifies best practices and persistent challenges to provide a structured framework for improving heat resilience based on evaluations of heat action plans from six countries: Australia, Canada, France, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It advocates for an adaptable governance framework, proposing that national guidance related to Heat Action Plans incorporate adaptable core elements, such as standardized heat risk definitions, clear agency roles, multi-sector coordination, and early warning systems.

This narrative analysis highlights how 12 countries are confronting the realities of extreme heat through diverse governance models, partnerships, and innovations. The case studies span multiple regions and development contexts—Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, France, India, Senegal, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, offering a cross-cutting view of what is working, where gaps remain, and how national strategies are evolving in the face of escalating climate threats.

The 2024 Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum focused on identifying innovative technologies, policy frameworks, business models, and institutional structures to enable decarbonization and adaptation within the water sector as well as the sector’s role in decarbonizing the broader economy. Forum participants explored key questions such as: How is innovation disrupting the water sector? How does water fit into broader decarbonization efforts?

The HeatWise Policy Partnership Summit is a key component of a cyclical two-year program that encompasses stakeholder engagement, event planning, biannual convening, reporting key findings, and outreach to policymakers.