By AIDMI, India

1. Where does nature actually cool people’s daily lives?

Are trees, green spaces, water bodies, and shaded corridors located where heat is most felt—near homes, small businesses, markets, schools, and work areas—or only in planned, elite spaces?

2. Who maintains and benefits from nature-based cooling?

Do local communities and affected people have a role in maintaining green and blue assets, and do they directly benefit from the cooling they provide, or is access uneven?

3. Can nature-based solutions deliver short-term relief as well as long-term resilience?

While NbS offer long-term benefits, how can they also provide immediate cooling during extreme heat seasons, especially for those facing urgent exposure?

4. Are NbS integrated with livelihoods and local economies?

Do cooling landscapes support livelihoods—through shade for work, water access, or improved microclimates—or are they treated only as environmental add-ons?

5. How are NbS embedded in heat governance and disaster risk reduction?

Are nature-based cooling measures linked to Heat Action Plans, SDMA support, and local disaster preparedness, or do they remain isolated urban beautification projects?

Nature-based solutions reduce extreme heat most effectively when they are local, accessible, maintained by communities, and embedded in disaster risk governance.