As heat waves grow more frequent and fierce, cities worldwide are racing to cool streets and reshape urban life. But can they adapt quickly enough?

Published 21 June 2026 · india

As heat waves grow more frequent and fierce, cities worldwide are racing to cool streets and reshape urban life. Cities are especially vulnerable to extreme

As heat waves grow more frequent and fierce, cities worldwide are racing to cool streets and reshape urban life. Cities are especially vulnerable to extreme heat — and increasingly experience days when the sidewalks seem to cook like a stove and it's a struggle to sleep at night. Densely built urban areas, with their paved roads, impermeable surfaces and limited green spaces, are heat islands that can be 10 to 15 degrees Celsius (up to 30 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than surrounding rural areas. That extra heat strains crucial city infrastructure and harms public health. Nearly half a million people die every year from heat-related causes, according to UN figures. Climate change caused by our fossil fuel emissions will mean more frequent, more intense and earlier heat extremes in coming years. But cities — home to more than half the world's population — are working to stay livable, sharing adaptation and resilience strategies that will be discussed at preparatory UN climate talks in Bonn this week and next. "Heat is a silent killer, but it is not an inevitable one," saidHans Henri P. Kluge, the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe, presenting updated guidance on heat protection measures on Thursday. "We have the tools. Now we must use them." 'Nature of heat has changed' "Today, heat is no longer simply a local climatic characteristic. It has become an urban, public health, economic and socio-environmental challenge," said Leonardo Madeira Martins, a sustainability leader for the city of Teresina, in northeastern Brazil. Although the dense tropical city is known for its green spaces, Martins said the temperature now frequently exceeds 40 C (104 F). That, he wrote in an email, disrupts "urban mobility, sleep quality, productivity and the overall well-being" of the city's population of around 870,000. Residents of Antalya, Turkey — host of the upcoming COP31 UN climate talks — have also noticed a change in the summer weather.

"Antalya is a Mediterranean city where summers have always been hot; however, the nature of the heat has changed," said Melike Kireccibasi, a climate expert with the municipality. She told DW that heat waves are beginning earlier, lasting longer and becoming more frequent — a trend that is could "intensify significantly toward mid-century," especially in the densely populated urban center. "This places increasing pressure on our population — now exceeding 2.6 million — as well as on our health services, our energy and water systems, and the millions of visitors we host every summer," she added. How your city should be protecting you from heat and floods To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Especially at risk: Children, older and sick people Homes, workplaces and other buildings can shield people during these periods of intense heat, but even they can only do so much. If extreme temperatures persist into the night, people living in overheated buildings struggle to cool off — and that's especially dangerous for vulnerable groups like children, older and sick people. Antalya wants to adapt buildings and help residents live with the heat, said Kireccibasi. That includes air conditioning systems, but also reducing "how much cooling our buildings need in the first place." An EU-supported heat risk assessment of the city, using satellite data and climate projections, has pinpointed residents who are most exposed to rising temperatures. The city's strategy includes better building design that increases shade use prioritizes surfaces that reflect heat or insulate, like a green roof. Other solutions include public water points and increased energy efficiency. "In this way, cooling can become more economical, more accessible and lower in carbon intensity," said Kireccibasi. Solar tech is catching on in many places, including Fortaleza, Brazil Image: Joaquim Melo/Divulgação Structural limitations and social inequality are also making the heat worse in Brazil.