Heat Resilience by Design

Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-3-032-32925-7
Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan

Buch, Englisch, 443 Seiten, Format (B × H): 148 mm x 210 mm

As climate change intensifies, heat has emerged as the deadliest and most underestimated environmental threat of the 21st century—one that disproportionately affects the world’s poorest, hottest, and most densely populated regions. is a groundbreaking, interdisciplinary guide that reimagines how cities, communities, and institutions can respond to this escalating crisis—not just through technical fixes, but by transforming the very systems that shape urban life.

Rooted in rigorous science, systems thinking, behavioral insight, and global best practices, this book presents Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) as a powerful paradigm shift in our response to extreme heat. It moves beyond surface-level greening to explore how NbS can be designed, financed, implemented, and scaled equitably—especially in low- and middle-income countries where vulnerability is highest and resources are scarce.

The book unfolds through a carefully sequenced arc: it begins by unpacking the thermodynamics of heat and its hidden economic and health tolls, then surveys global heat hotspots and the limits of current adaptation strategies. It makes the case for NbS not as decorative or optional, but as foundational urban infrastructure. Through a comparative analysis of case studies from India, Colombia, Spain, and Rwanda, it reveals what works, what doesn’t, and why. The volume offers a practical, justice-centered pathway for designing cooler, healthier, and more liveable cities—especially for those who are too often left behind in climate planning.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mishra, Navya

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Geographie | Raumplanung Geographie: Allgemeines, Karten & Atlanten
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik
• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Umweltmanagement, Umweltökonomie
• Geowissenschaften Geographie | Raumplanung Humangeographie
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Heat as a Systems Challenge.- Chapter 2: The Global Geography of Heat and Vulnerability.- Chapter 3: The Heat Tax: Quantifying the Economic Costs of a Warming World.- Chapter 4: An Assessment of Current Cooling Strategies.- Chapter 5: A Comparative Analysis of Nature-based Solutions in High-Income and Low- and Middle-Income Contexts.- Chapter 6: The Economic Imperative of Nature-Based Cooling: A Comprehensive Analysis of Sustainable Investment for Urban and Rural Resilience.- Chapter 7: From Policy to Practice: Scaling Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Heat Resilience in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.- Chapter 8: Policy Frameworks for Heat Action & Resilience.- Chapter 9: Behavioural Architecture for Resilient Landscapes.- Chapter 10: The Conditions of Possibility: Designing the Ecosystem for Heat-Resilient Nature-Based Solutions.- Chapter 11: Frameworks for Iterative Impact: Seasonal Planning and Learning Loops for NbS.- Chapter 12: An Operational Framework for Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions for Urban Heat Resilience.- Chapter 13: Financing Mechanisms: Heat Resilience through Nature Based Solutions.- Chapter 14: Conclusion.

Über Autor(innen)

Navya Mishra is the Founder of Sequester and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Health at DY Patil School of Public Health. Her work spans the climate and health mandates of organisations including PHFI–CEH and CEEW.