WSROC, Resilient Sydney, and the Global Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance (EHRA) teamed up to present a Global Best Practice Heat Resilience Workshop on 13 October 2022.

Held at Western Sydney University Parramatta City Campus, the workshop assembled local and international experts to discuss how cities around the world are tackling the heat resilience challenge, and what lessons can be learned and applied in the Sydney context.

The EHRA is part of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation (Arsht-Rock) and works with global cities to increase heat resilience in urban areas, focusing on vulnerable populations.

Guest speakers from the EHRA included Kathy Baughman McLeod (pictured left), Director of the Arsht-Rock Resilience Centre, and former Mayor of Quito (capital of Ecuador), Mauricio Rodas, who spoke about his city’s work and his role as Lead of the City Champions for Heat Action Program.

The Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation recently released its report Hot Cities, Chilled Economies: Impacts of Extreme Heat on Global Cities, detailing the social and economic effects of extreme heat in 12 cities, across six continents: Athens, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Dhaka, Freetown, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Monterrey, New Delhi, Santiago and Sydney.

Arsht-Rock estimates that heat exposure within Sydney already causes labour productivity losses that could amount to $432 million in lost output in a typical year currently. On average, flooding costs New South Wales around $250 million every year.

Without action, heat- and humidity-related labour productivity losses may be more than $974 million by 2050, not including lost wages, demand, or other components of the broader economy.

The Arsht-Rock report recommends extending efforts to improve heat resilience. This could include warning systems based on the health impact of weather conditions to help reduce heat-related mortality.