Cities in Europe and Central Asia are facing a significant increase in the number of hot days, which could more than triple by 2050. This change is expected to be particularly severe in Southern Europe and Türkiye, where cities may experience an additional 40-70 hot days per year.
The past two decades have seen tens of thousands of heat-related deaths in these regions, a figure that could double or triple by mid-century. These numbers would be comparable to fatalities from road traffic accidents. Extreme heat events lead to numerous emergency room visits, straining hospitals and exacerbating chronic illnesses, especially among older adults and low-income communities.
Economic impacts are also anticipated, with losses due to extreme heat potentially reaching 2.5 percent of GDP by midcentury in certain areas. High temperatures can cause machinery failures, strain energy systems, disrupt supply chains, reduce worker productivity—particularly in outdoor sectors like construction, transport, and tourism—and damage infrastructure. Much of the existing infrastructure was built in the mid-20th century and needs renewal.
To address these challenges, cities can implement measures such as expanding tree canopies and developing parks to cool urban spaces. Protecting lives during extreme heat events through early warning systems and cooling centers is crucial. Adapting infrastructure for higher temperatures involves retrofitting buildings for passive cooling and using heat-tolerant materials. Embedding heat resilience into government planning includes incorporating heat risk into adaptation plans and urban development strategies.
Emerging solutions show potential as some cities pilot heat vulnerability indices to allocate funds effectively to high-risk areas. Integrating heat considerations into transport and housing strategies is underway in some locations, while others use performance-based transfers to incentivize local action. However, there remains a significant financing gap that threatens even the most ambitious plans without new mechanisms to bridge it.
Success requires enabling local action within a coordinated system by clearly assigning responsibilities, building municipal capacity, and integrating heat resilience into governance practices across zoning laws, budgets, and public health planning.