Heat Science Hotline aims to connect users with network of experts

Extreme heat is the world's deadliest weather-related threat. Now, a new free service aims to connect those working to help their communities stay safe amid intensifying heat waves with experts in thermophysiology, public health, urban planning, gender equality, and more.

"The [Heat Science] Hotline, in particular, [stands] out because it focuses not only on generating awareness, but on helping people make practical, evidence-informed decisions in real time — which is exactly what frontline providers and communities need right now," Neha Mankani told CG in an email.

Mankani, who is based in Pakistan, is the Humanitarian Engagement and Climate Advisor and a Co-Chair of the Heat Science Hotline launched last month by the women-led climate adaptation organization HERA. The initiative aligns with the organization's mission "to protect the health, income, and dignity of women on the frontlines of extreme heat."

While extreme heat is a major public health risk for all populations, women can be particularly vulnerable due to biological, social, and systemic conditions. From care work often performed in poorly ventilated spaces to clothing worn for cultural reasons as well as for protection against gender-based violence, the impacts can be disproportionately felt as heat waves become more frequent, longer-lasting, and more severe. 

From Delhi to New York City and all around the world, health officials are warning of the impacts on pregnant people in particular, with extreme heat exposure increasing risks that include maternal heart and cardiovascular stress as well as preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth. 

In a short video publicizing the launch of the Heat Science Hotline, Mankani said, "I wanted to join the Heat Science Hotline because in my work with midwives, with pregnant women, with family members, community members, I just really see the importance of knowledge equity."

So, how does the hotline work? The free service is accessible via an online submission form through which users can submit their questions, describing any details of the real-world challenges they face with extreme heat. On the other end, experts across a range of specialties — from cooling strategies to data science, epidemiology, and social impacts — aim to respond quickly to submitted questions, using the strongest available scientific evidence combined with practical, on-the-ground experience. 

The tool is designed for a broad audience, including local government officials, health care providers, journalists, funders, architects, and community organizations. "We particularly hope it becomes useful for practitioners in low-resource and climate-vulnerable settings who are often making high-stakes decisions with limited technical support," Mankani said.

Each response will ultimately be stored in a searchable public repository, contributing to collective knowledge around heat science.

"The questions are incredibly varied, which reflects how cross-cutting heat really is," Mankani said about the types of questions received so far. "We've seen questions about designing maternal health facilities in extreme heat and flood-prone areas, protecting factory workers in high-humidity textile environments, adapting outpatient clinics during heat waves, and translating heat early warning systems into practical community action in informal settlements." 

"Many questions sit at the intersection of climate, infrastructure, labor, gender, and health — which is exactly why a multidisciplinary approach is needed."

She went on to say the hotline's tailored guidance provides support "grounded in both science and lived implementation experience." According to HERA's press release, experts' recommendations will go "beyond generative [artificial intelligence], with human experience and multidimensional perspectives."

As communities around the world search for effective ways to respond to rising temperatures and prolonged heat waves, tools like the Heat Science Hotline could serve as a blueprint for turning knowledge into resilience. 

Other groups are working to meet the moment with similar tools and resources too. 

The U.N. Population Fund of India published guidance earlier this month to help pregnant people navigate higher temperatures. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains a HeatRisk tool in the U.S. that can help individuals vulnerable to heat learn about daily risks in their area. And, according to VaccinesWork, the smartphone app MotherHeat Alert is currently being tested in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Sweden.