Our story

Our Story: Coping with Extreme Heat in the Mediterranean
Climate change is raising temperatures at an alarming rate, especially in Europe, where heat waves have become the leading cause of mortality attributable to extreme weather events. The Mediterranean is one of the most vulnerable regions, suffering from drought, heat stress and forest fires. Although many European countries have protocols to mitigate these effects, they are often insufficient at the local level, and specific action plans for our Mediterranean cities are scarce.

This is where HEATSAFE was born. We recognized the urgent need to develop methodologies and tools that allow public administrations to effectively prevent and manage the risks associated with heat waves. Our project stems from the conviction that only through a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach – integrating urban planning, public health, social equity and environmental sustainability – will we be able to protect our population from extreme heat.

The seed of HEATSAFE lies in the previous work of the “Guide for the Elaboration of Municipal Policies and Local Action Plans for High Temperatures”, promoted by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces and developed by Eurovértice. This document, although successful in Spain, needed to be adapted to benefit other local authorities in the Mediterranean area. We understood that transnational cooperation was essential to validate and maximize the impact of these methodologies throughout the Mediterranean basin and beyond.

Therefore, at HEATSAFE we joined forces with partners from various regions to implement pilot actions, share experiences and align policies. This collaboration allows us to pool valuable resources, compare results in different contexts and understand local specificities, ensuring that the solutions developed are robust and scalable. Our story is one of collective commitment to building more resilient and healthy cities in the face of the challenge of climate change