This toolkit provides a structured framework to support cities, urban local governments, planners, and practitioners in developing evidence-based Heat Action Plans (HAPs) to address the growing risks of extreme heat in urban areas. It is built around a step-wise process covering heat risk assessment, vulnerability analysis, institutional and capacity gap assessment, stakeholder consultation and validation, and the design of heat risk reduction and early warning strategies.
Each section includes practical, ready-to-use guidance and templates, such as data inventory checklists, heat risk scoring matrices, ward-wise assessment formats, institutional mapping tools, consultation frameworks, and monitoring and implementation templates. The toolkit also integrates spatial analysis outputs, including essential heat maps such as land surface temperature, urban heat island hotspots, vulnerability distribution, and combined heat risk maps.
The resource is designed to translate technical climate and spatial analysis into actionable planning and decision-making tools that cities can adapt to their local context. It aims to strengthen institutional readiness, improve cross-sector coordination, and support targeted interventions to protect the most heat-vulnerable populations.
Sustainedge envisions this toolkit as a practical guide for urban stakeholders to systematically assess heat risks and implement inclusive, data-driven, and climate-resilient solutions. Cities, development partners, and practitioners are encouraged to use it as a foundation for building safer and more heat-resilient urban futures.
Download the toolkit from this link.