Global Heat Forum Urges City Action and Funding as Extreme Temperatures Threaten Lives

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on every city to establish heat action plans by 2030, supported by the resources and systems needed to make them work.

The first Global Heat Forum opened in Bangkok with a pressing challenge: getting funding and practical protection to people facing increasingly dangerous temperatures. Nearly 600 scientists, business leaders, philanthropists and health experts gathered for the four-day event as record-breaking heat and a strengthening El Niño raised concerns about further extremes. The host city's recovery from devastating rainfall and deadly floods gave the discussions an immediate backdrop, with public and private sector participants exploring how communities can protect health, livelihoods and essential services.

Cities urged to put heat protection in place by 2030

UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on every city to establish heat action plans by 2030, supported by the resources and systems needed to make them work. His message placed responsibility across health, housing, energy and transport departments, whose decisions collectively shape how safely people can live and work during heatwaves. Two years after launching his Call to Action on Extreme Heat, he pointed to progress in city planning and worker protections, stressing that developing countries still lack sufficient support to confront the growing threat.

Heatwaves across Asia, Europe and North America have damaged economies, fuelled deadly wildfires and worsened air pollution, with the strengthening El Niño expected to bring more extreme heat ahead of the southern hemisphere summer. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo described record daytime and overnight temperatures as pressures on bodies, infrastructure, farms and homes that were not designed for such conditions. She stressed that forecasts must give health services time to prepare, employers time to adjust working hours and communities time to reach people most at risk.

New tools bring research closer to everyday decisions

The forum presented measures that governments can put into practice, including early warnings connected to health action plans, urban planning that creates cooler streets and homes, and legal protections for workers in factories, fields and construction sites. According to 2025 estimates cited at the event, expanding heat-health warning systems could protect 1.5 billion people and prevent nearly 100,000 deaths annually. The launch of the executive summary of Extreme Heat and Health: Global Evidence for Action brought together extensive evidence on health damage, vulnerable populations and effective interventions, accompanied by a Burning Questions series addressing practical concerns such as heatwave costs.

A new open platform, What Works Against Heat, draws on a review of 300,000 academic papers and rates more than 80 interventions, covering choices from city planning to building design. Led by the Global Heat Health Information Network and the University of Sydney, it assesses evidence quality, effectiveness, cost, time to benefit and environmental impact, with results organised by climate to help users find appropriate measures. The network's South Asia Hub released its first country-level heat and health assessments for Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, giving decision-makers evidence grounded in national conditions.

Women's health and adaptation funding demand attention

The Global Call to Action on Heat and Women's Health urged governments to strengthen protection for women and babies, including pregnant women and newborns who can face serious risks without adequate information or support. Wellcome's Dr Madeleine Thomson stressed the need to bring existing solutions to those most exposed, and University of Washington researcher Professor Kristie Ebi said evidence already identifies rising risks and interventions with proven benefits. Their messages centred on using available knowledge to prevent avoidable illness and deaths before another heatwave arrives.

A Roadmap for Investment and Action on Extreme Heat will carry the work towards COP31 in Antalya, connecting protective measures with the financing needed to expand them. The Rockefeller Foundation's Dr Naveen Rao warned that intensifying heat could overwhelm clinics and weaken safety nets, calling for faster action using existing forecasting and response capabilities. ClimateWorks Foundation's Jessica Brown described adaptation as a lasting social and economic investment, pointing to growing engagement among funders, researchers and civil society.