Climate change adaptation to extreme heat: A global systematic review of implemented action

Lynée L Turek-Hankins,Patricia Nayna Shwerdtle,Sienna Templeman,Maarten K Van Aalst,Abraham M Nunbogu,The Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative Team ,Elphin Tom Joe,Emma M French,Katharine J Mach,Giulia Scarpa,Stephanie E Austin,Tavi Agrawal,Raquel Ruiz-Diaz,Erin Coughlan De Perez,A R Siders,Chandni Singh,Eranga K Galappaththi,Lea Berrang-Ford,Mariella Siña

doi:10.1093/oxfclm/kgab005

Abstract

Abstract Extreme heat events impact people and ecosystems across the globe, and they are becoming more frequent and intense in a warming climate. Responses to heat span sectors and geographic boundaries. Prior research has documented technologies or options that can be deployed to manage extreme heat and examples of how individuals, communities, governments, and other stakeholder groups are adapting to heat. However, a comprehensive understanding of the current state of implemented heat adaptations—where, why, how, and to what extent they are occurring—has not been established. Here, we combine data from the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative with a heat-specific systematic review to analyze the global extent and diversity of documented heat adaptation actions (n = 301 peer-reviewed articles). Data from 98 countries suggest that documented heat adaptations fundamentally differ by geographic region and national income. In high-income, developed countries, heat is overwhelmingly treated as a health issue, particularly in urban areas. However, in low and middle income, developing countries, heat adaptations focus on agricultural and livelihood-based impacts, primarily considering heat as a compound hazard with drought and other hydrological hazards. 63% of the heat-adaptation articles feature individuals or communities autonomously adapting, highlighting how responses to date have largely consisted of coping strategies. The current global status of responses to intensifying extreme heat, largely autonomous and incremental yet widespread, establishes a foundation for informed decision making as heat impacts around the world continue to increase.

Highlights

Extreme heat jeopardizes the well-being of people and ecosystems globally
This article provides a systematic review of how heat adaptation responses are unfolding globally as reported in the scientific literature, building from the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative (GAMI)
Through a systematic review building from the GAMI dataset, we explore the following questions: (i) What impacts most commonly lead to adaptation to extreme heat? (ii) What are the roles of different actors in adaptation to extreme heat across scales of implementation? (iii) What types of responses are deployed? and (iv) How are equity, local knowledge and Indigenous knowledge incorporated into heat adaptation responses?

Summary

Introduction

Extreme heat jeopardizes the well-being of people and ecosystems globally. Individuals, communities, and governments are adapting to extreme heat, but the extent and types of these adaptations vary widely, along with the actors promoting and implementing measures [1, 2]. Anthropogenic climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in many regions [7]. Attribution studies have demonstrated significant increases in the likelihood of recent heat waves due to climate change [5], for instance, in Europe [9], Asia [10] and Russia [11]. Other studies have highlighted the Middle East, North America and South Asia as regions of concern for heat exposure approaching extreme heat survivability and adaptability thresholds under high magnitude climate change [15,16,17]. Under global warming, extreme heat is a major, multifaceted global threat

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