By Dr. Prajna Paramita Panda, Program Manager & Member, IUCN SSC AsESG, India; and Mihir R. Bhatt, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India

Cities across the world are warming at alarming rates. In South Asia, where rapid urbanisation collides with climate extremes, the stakes are particularly high. Heatwaves are no longer occasional disruptions; they have become recurring crises – threatening lives, straining infrastructure, and undermining local economies. The urban poor, informal workers, women, children, and the elderly bear the greatest burden of this warming, as they live and work in heat-stressed environments with little protection.

Nature has already given us an early warning a century ago. We are noticing this warning only now in the past few decades.

In this context, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) offer a powerful, cost-effective, and sustainable pathway to building urban resilience. From tree-lined streets and shaded vending zones to restored wetlands and rooftop gardens, NbS can cool microclimates, reduce pollution, recharge groundwater, and foster biodiversity—while also enhancing livelihoods, public health, and social well-being.

The All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) has worked for over three decades to integrate people and planet into disaster and climate resilience. Our experience shows that NbS must go beyond green ornamentation. They need to be embedded in urban planning, budgeting, and regulations, and designed with equity at their core. NbS, when combined with anticipatory action, micro-insurance, and inclusive recovery, can transform urban resilience from reactive relief into proactive regeneration.

This special issue of Southasiadisasters.net brings together a rich set of perspectives as an input to the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 at Abu Dhabi, UAE, October 9-15, 2025:

• From India, heritage-based architecture, bamboo plantations, and community-led NbS pilots show how traditional wisdom blends with modern needs.
• From Nepal, studies in Kathmandu Valley and Nepalgunj show how forests, ponds, and kaushi kheti (rooftop farming), along with climate-sensitive architecture and community forests, are cooling cities.
• From Jordan, dryland restoration principles illustrate pathways for arid cities to adapt.
• From Bangladesh, municipal-level studies highlight the cooling potential of wetlands and vegetation.
• From Africa, youth-led NbS initiatives demonstrate how the next generation is shaping greener, cooler cities.
• From regional platforms like BIMSTEC, collective agendas are proposed for tackling urban heat through cooperative governance.

Together, these contributions highlight a crucial message: cooling our cities demands more than technology or funding—it calls for trust in both nature and communities, and the courage to embed these into how cities serve nature.