By Dr. Jamie Munn, Executive Director, International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), Switzerland

At ICVA, our mandate is to make humanitarian action more principled, more effective, and more accountable to people affected by crisis. As a global network of NGOs, we work to ensure that the voices, experiences, and expertise of local, national, and international NGOs shape humanitarian policy and practice. In that spirit, we are grateful for the leadership of our members working on the frontline of climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction, including the important work of the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), whose long-standing commitment to community-centred resilience continues to shape global thinking.

Heat is no longer a seasonal inconvenience. It is a humanitarian risk multiplier.

Across South Asia and beyond, prolonged and intensifying heatwaves are exposing a profound gap in how we understand and respond to slow-onset crises, particularly in urban environments. Unlike floods, earthquakes or cyclones, extreme heat often unfolds quietly. There is no dramatic moment of impact, yet the consequences are severe: rising mortality, collapsing livelihoods, strained health systems, and deepening inequalities.

For humanitarian leaders, this presents a challenge. Our systems are largely designed for visible, acute shocks. Heat demands something different: anticipation, adaptation, and sustained local action.

Urban centres are increasingly on the frontline. Dense populations, poor ventilation, inadequate housing, vanishing green spaces, and unreliable access to water combine to create dangerous urban heat traps. The burden falls disproportionately on those least protected: women workers in informal economies, displaced populations, elderly people, people with disabilities, and communities living in informal settlements.

From ICVA’s perspective, three leadership shifts are urgently needed.

First, preparedness must become more localised. Local and national actors are often the first to identify heat stress and the last to leave when crises deepen. Their knowledge of infrastructure gaps, social coping mechanisms, and community vulnerabilities is indispensable. Yet they remain too often underfunded and under-recognised.

Second, infrastructure must be understood as protection. Heat-resilient shelters, shaded public spaces, cooling centres, reliable water systems, and climate-sensitive urban planning are not simply development investments; they are humanitarian safeguards. Heat is increasingly blurring the line between humanitarian response and development action.

Third, anticipatory action must evolve. Forecast-based financing and early warning systems have advanced for floods and storms. We now need the same ambition for heat: financing earlier, acting sooner, and investing in prevention before temperatures become deadly.

The humanitarian sector must also confront an uncomfortable truth: funding cuts and hyper-prioritisation risk sidelining preparedness precisely when it is most needed. If we reduce investments in local capacity, urban resilience, and community protection systems, we are not saving resources; we are storing up greater human and financial costs.

Heat is shaping the future of humanitarian need. Leadership today means listening to local actors, investing in resilience, and recognising that dignity in crisis depends as much on preparedness as it does on response.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of AIDMI.