SE Valley Times

Arizona State University (ASU) has been named a lead partner in the newly established Center for Heat Resilient Communities. This initiative, supported by a $4.5 million grant from the National Integrated Heat Health Information System, aims to address the growing challenge of extreme heat. The funding comes from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Sara Meerow, an associate professor at ASU's School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, highlighted the increasing significance of heat as a climate-related hazard. "As the planet warms, communities everywhere are experiencing unprecedented hot weather, including record-breaking heat waves and a longer heat season," she said. She noted that despite being a leading cause of climate-related deaths, heat has historically received less attention than other hazards like flooding.

The Center for Heat Resilient Communities will receive $2.25 million and is one of two virtual centers focusing on extreme heat resilience. Alongside ASU, partners include the University of California, Los Angeles Luskin Center for Innovation and the University of Arizona. The center's mission is to develop strategies for local heat mitigation and management through its Heat Resilient Communities Framework.

Meerow explained that the center will assist communities in preparing for and responding to extreme heat impacts by developing resilience goals and evaluating strategies through modeling and benefit-cost analysis. She emphasized community engagement as a key component: "We will guide communities through a process of developing heat resilience goals...and community engagement."

Both centers aim to align with the Biden administration’s Justice40 Initiative by ensuring that 40% of federal investment benefits disadvantaged communities. Meerow pointed out that these communities often face higher temperatures without adequate resources like indoor cooling systems.

Past efforts in heat mapping have informed urban planning practices; however, these new centers plan to engage more directly with local communities to share data and best practices.

Meerow stressed the importance of studying innovative approaches taken by some cities in Arizona to enhance their resilience against extreme heat: "We need to study these efforts to help...communities that have not yet begun to plan for heat or that lack the resources to do so."

Further details can be found on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website.