SEE RECORDING: https://www.youtube.com/live/bZ5ChQwRvK0?si=oid3FoQANZP_jUh8

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), National Institute of Public Health, Mali, and the All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) jointly organised a roundtable on “Urgency of Urban Heat Adaptation: Role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS)” on Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 04:00 PM to 05:00 PM IST.

The roundtable brought together experts, practitioners, and policymakers to address the rising risks of extreme heat in rapidly urbanising areas. Participants explored how urban heat islands, inadequate infrastructure, and socio-economic vulnerabilities are compounding climate risks across South Asia and how NbS can help address these challenges in a sustainable way. The discussions emphasised solutions such as early warning systems, nature-based cooling, heat-resilient urban planning, and community-led action. The event highlighted the need for integrated approaches—combining data, design, environmental considerations, and policy—to build equitable urban resilience. It recognised that urgent, inclusive, and collaborative responses are vital to safeguard lives, protect livelihoods, and ensure sustainable development under intensifying urban heat conditions.

The roundtable also marked the launch of a special issue of Southasiadisasters.net on “Urgency of Urban Heat Adaptation” for wider circulation and application.

Key Objectives of the Roundtable Were:

• To identify effective strategies and solutions—technological, nature-based, and policy-driven—for mitigating extreme urban heat and its health, economic, and infrastructural impacts.

• To promote inclusive, nature-based, and community-driven approaches that prioritised the needs of affected populations, including low-income groups, small businesses, and urban citizens, in heat adaptation planning.

• To strengthen collaboration among stakeholders—governments, civil society, researchers, and the private sector—for scaling urban heat resilience through data-driven planning, financing mechanisms, integrated urban design, and the implementation of nature-based solutions.

📅 Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025
🕥 Time: 04:00 PM to 05:00 PM IST

Thank you to all who joined us in this vital conversation on strategies to build cooler, safer, and more resilient cities in the face of extreme heat. This discussion was a significant step toward climate-safe urban futures.

🎙 Speakers:

• Ms. Minni Sastry, Advisor for Extreme Heat and Sustainable Cooling, Climate Change Division, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) India
• Mr. Sanjaya Bhatia, Head of Office Incheon, UNDRR, Republic of Korea
• Mr. Michael Slingsby, Urban Poverty and Climate Change Adviser, South and South East Asia
• Dr. Hippolyte Traoré, National Institute of Public Health (NIPH), Ministry of Health and Social Development, Bamako-MALI
• Mr. Mihir R. Bhatt, Director, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India
• Mr. Vishal Pathak, AIDMI, India

Stay in touch with AIDMI