Extreme heat events are getting more frequent and more intense. Globally, heat kills more people than any other natural disaster. In fact, the last ten years have been the hottest on record. This summer alone, records are being shattered around the globe, even in more temperate regions like the U.K.  

Human activities contributing to climate change are making “mega” heat waves more frequent, more intense, and last longer. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases are raising temperatures globally, leading to changing weather patterns that are expected to cause more extreme events such as flooding,  heat waves, drought, and wildfires. Scientists suspect that the planet is as hot now as it’s ever been in at least the past 125,000 years.

A scientific journal article predicts that heat waves will increase, affecting half a billion people every year, causing food shortages, deaths, and refugee flows when temperatures exceed human tolerance levels.

The “urban heat island effect” makes cities 2-8 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than their surrounding suburbs and rural areas. At night, when our bodies need to cool down to recuperate from a hot day, the difference can be even starker, with urban centers ranging as much as 22 degrees warmer than nearby rural areas. 

Not only are cities hotter, but they are heating up at nearly twice the global average rate. Before the end of this century, two out of every three people will live in urban spaces where excess heat will play a critical role in their lives.

Larger cities have a ravenous appetite for energy, consuming two-thirds of the world’s energy and creating over 70% of global CO2 emissions. But these statistics belie the notion that cities can also be incubators for climate change solutions. 

The most ambitious and innovative actions to reduce emissions and improve quality of life are happening at the urban level. The idea that humans are the problem with respect to the climate emergency has evolved to people as problem solvers. 

Smart, sustainable cities are the foundation for a low-carbon future and the most cost-effective solution to climate change, possibly even more so than renewable energy. Viewing cities as solutions that foster livability, sustainability, and innovation has laid a foundation for smart city innovation.

Cities encompass the largest and fastest-growing concentration of natural resource consumption and are a logical place to focus sustainability efforts in areas such as transportation, building emissions, energy efficiency, drinking water, air quality, infrastructure resiliency, and waste management.

Fortunately, some of the most effective solutions to mitigate extreme urban heat are also the simplest and time-tested, like planting shade trees and cooling our roofs.

While more “mega” or extreme heat events seem inevitable, their severity and duration will depend on how aggressively we address global climate change. There is no single solution, but smart cities can help us both cut greenhouse gasses and adapt to a new climate reality.

And in the meantime, stay safe and cool during the next heat wave with these tips.