2023 broke temperature records worldwide. People across different regions of the planet are already facing historic heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts with just 1.1°C of warming above pre-industrial levels. Under current policies, which put the world on track for a warming scenario of 2.5°C to 2.9°C by 2100, the stifling heat felt this year is just a small taste of the future ahead.
In a warming world, cities suffer even more from high temperatures than rural areas. First, because they host the majority of the population. Yet, exposure to high temperatures is also amplified by the urban heat island effect, where the concentration of buildings, concrete, and other infrastructure traps heat in a given area. Population density, air pollution, poverty, and local geography are other factors that further increase the vulnerability of city dwellers.
