The BeBrit Extreme Heat Risk project is funded by the Brussels Centre for Urban Studies (BCUS) and led by Dr Andrea Armstrong (Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium and Silent Spring Consultants, UK). Project Partners are Dr Candice Howarth (London School of Economics, UK) and Wim Pulinx (Silent Spring Consultants, UK). BeBrit was supported by a Professional Intern: Izabel Oliveira ( Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium and Silent Spring Consultants, UK).

Why study extreme heat risk?

Climate risks such as heatwaves and drought are predicted to become more frequent and intensify over the coming decades. Every year, heatwaves claim the lives of infants, older people, and people with chronic health conditions. The 2003 European heatwave killed more than 70,000 people, and the 2015 heatwave in India reportedly killed over 2,500 people. People living in urban areas – and especially the urban poor and those most vulnerable to heat - are amongst the hardest hit when a heatwave occurs because these are hotter than the surrounding countryside. Deaths from heatwaves are not inevitable and it is crucial that cities incorporate heat-reduction tactics such as green spaces into their plans for growth or retrofit them in built areas. In addition to threatening the lives and health of vulnerable populations, heatwaves have cascading impacts in other areas of society, such as reduced economic output, strained health systems and rolling power outages. As Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities said, “Cities that are used to hot weather need to prepare for even longer periods of sweltering heat and cooler cities need to prepare for levels of extreme heat that they are not accustomed to” [emphasis added]. Heat actions in cities are happening but far more work is needed to reduce and manage heat risks and ensure cities are resilient to heat shocks as the frequency and intensity of heatwaves increases.

Research Aims

  1. LEARNING: Gather empirical evidence on how decisions are made during heatwaves in Belgium, building on earlier research in the UK. Collate city case studies assessing heat preparedness and case examples of adaptation actions from Europe and internationally. 
  2. COMPARISON: Analyse and compare Belgium and UK heat-related policies and guidance and assess examples of best practice for enhancing responses to heatwaves.
  3. EXCHANGE: Create space for dialogue and shared learning across countries, sectors, and scales.

 Research Questions

  1. Are the UK and Belgium prepared for extreme heat?
  2. What comparisons can be made between the two countries (differences and similarities)?
  3. What can be learnt from other cities and countries experiences and responses to extreme heat?