Bengaluru among 3 Indian of 33 worldwide to reimagine urban spaces for a hotter future

As Indian cities experience record-breaking temperatures, three major urban centres i.e. Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai, have joined a global coalition of 33 cities committed to addressing one of the most serious impacts of the climate crisis: extreme heat.

Announced on the first day of the C40 World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Cool Cities Accelerator will help urban leaders protect residents, safeguard economies, and redesign cities for a hotter future. The initiative brings together 33 founding cities representing over 145 million people from every region of the world, including Austin, Boston, Buenos Aires, Freetown, London, Nairobi, Phoenix, Paris, Singapore and others, all committed to protect residents and transform urban spaces for a hotter future by 2030, said a release.

C40 established the Accelerator with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, and with implementation support from ClimateWorks Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Z Zurich Foundation and Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Extreme heat is already the deadliest weather-related hazard worldwide, responsible for nearly half a million deaths each year. Without decisive action, the number of people exposed to life-threatening urban heat is projected to increase five-fold by 2050, said the release, adding, “The vast majority of deaths caused by extreme heat are preventable through timely access to cooling, hydration, medical care, public health interventions, and improved infrastructure. These preventable deaths typically occur when individuals —especially vulnerable populations such as the elderly, outdoor workers, or those without access to air conditioning — are not adequately protected during periods of dangerously high temperatures.”

The Cool Cities Accelerator provides a science-based, practical framework for cities to take both immediate and long-term action. Participating cities will collaborate, share best practices, and issue progress reports on protecting residents by establishing clear heat leadership, strengthening early warning systems, and ensuring access to cooling during emergencies within two years, as well as transforming cities for the future by improving building standards, expanding urban tree cover and shade, and future-proofing critical infrastructure within five years.

In support of the Cool Cities Accelerator, The Rockefeller Foundation is providing a grant of approximately $1 million to develop the targets for heat adaptation and provide technical assistance for cities to implement solutions that mitigate the dangerous effects of extreme heat, the release added.