New framework and toolkit strengthen governance for preventing and managing extreme heat
News was produced by: UNDRR
Belém, Brazil, 11 November 2025 - As the world faces record-breaking temperatures, a new Extreme Heat Risk Governance Framework and Toolkit was launched today at COP30 to help countries strengthen governance, coordination, and investment in response to escalating heat risks.
Developed by an international collaboration of national and global experts-led jointly by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN), and Duke University-the Framework and Toolkit respond to the UN Secretary-General's Call to Action on Extreme Heat. The initiative recognizes that extreme heat has become one of the most deadly, economically and ecologically damaging, and least managed climate-related threats worldwide.
The Framework and Toolkit were unveiled at the high-level event "Extreme Heat Risk Governance: A New Framework and Toolkit for Accelerated Action" at COP30, hosted by Luxembourg with participation from Selwin Hart, Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary-General for Climate Action, Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of WMO, Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and representatives from national governments, development banks, city leaders, and international organizations including the Rockefeller Foundation, EBRD, and the CREWS Initiative.
Kamal Kishore, Head of UNDRR, underscored the significance of this milestone:
"The broad engagement in shaping this Framework underscores a critical understanding: integrated, multi-sectoral, and multi-scale extreme heat risk governance is no longer optional - it is essential for survival."
A global turning point for heat governance
Extreme heat is now a leading climate-related killer, claiming more than half a million lives every year and resulting in a record 639 billion potential work hours lost in 2024-equal to USD 1 trillion, or 1% of global GDP. Cities are warming twice as fast as the global average, straining power and transport systems, while heat-driven crop losses are pushing millions into food insecurity.
Recalling that 2025 is set to be one of the three warmest years on record, Dr. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of WMO, warned that “we are seeing an upsurge in extremes — dangerous daytime peaks with little respite at night. Temperatures of more than 40°C, and sometimes even 50°C, are no longer the exception.
The new Framework and Toolkit aim to change that. They provide practical, evidence-based tools to help decision makers measure and understand the root causes and drivers of heat risk, and strengthen the governance systems needed to manage and adapt to its impacts. The goal: to enable integrated planning, investment, and action by governments, financiers, and stakeholders across sectors and scales.
By assessing their current governance maturity, countries can identify strengths and gaps, prioritize improvements, and advance toward integrated, systematic heat-risk reduction across short-, medium-, and long-term timeframes.
"This Framework provides partners with a clear path and concrete tools to move from fragmented efforts to coordinated systems that save lives and build resilience," said Joy Shumake-Guillemot, co-lead of the Global Heat Health Information Network. "It is practical, adaptable, and informed by science and experience."
Building on shared responsibility and interdependence
The Framework emphasizes that heat risk governance is not just about temperature-it's about interdependencies. Extreme heat amplifies risks across sectors, triggering wildfires, poor air quality, power grid failures, transport disruptions, and food supply breakdowns. Managing these cascading impacts demands whole-of-society coordination.
Effective heat governance calls for a shared vision and collective action. Progress happens when governments, financiers, scientists, communities, and institutions plan, invest, act, and learn together-across sectors and timeframes. Collaboration, coordination, and integrated approaches are the foundation of resilience.
Extreme heat governance, like resilience itself, can be built and strengthened over time. With the right tools, partnerships, incentives, and investments, authorities can turn fragmented responses into coherent, multi-temporal strategies that protect lives and livelihoods.
Pilots in 2026: Barbados, Senegal, and Cambodia
In 2026, the Framework and Toolkit will be piloted in Barbados, Senegal, and Cambodia, along with other participating countries across regions and governance contexts. These pilots will test practical tools for multi-sector coordination, financing, and anticipatory action-from prevention and preparedness to early warning and response.
Findings will inform global scale-up through the Supporting Extreme Heat Risk Governance Initiative, which links governments, international organizations, and financial institutions to embed heat governance into national and subnational policies, budgets, and planning systems.
Complementary tools: The MCR2030 Heat Resilience Scorecard
To strengthen local action, UNDRR is also launching the Extreme Heat Resilience Scorecard under the Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiative. This diagnostic tool helps municipalities assess their readiness, identify governance gaps, and coordinate action across health, infrastructure, energy, and social services. The Scorecard aligns with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, supporting inclusive, equity-centered resilience at the city level.
From fragmented response to coordinated governance
Extreme heat is a systemic challenge that cuts across health, energy, water, labour, and planning sectors. Fragmented policies, short-term crisis responses, and limited financing have constrained resilience-building efforts.
The new Framework and Toolkit help countries move from reactive response to proactive governance, embedding long-term prevention, risk reduction, and social protection into national and local systems.
Whether leading a city, managing infrastructure, running a business, or shaping national policy, all actors have a role to play. The Framework and Toolkit invite governments and partners to make heat risk-informed decisions grounded in evidence and shared responsibility, guided by solidarity and a commitment to protect lives and livelihoods.