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Learning pathway

Keeping African Cities Cool in Extreme Heat

Extreme heat is a growing, often invisible risk in African cities. This pathway shows how municipal teams can govern heat risk, warn residents, and cool homes, schools and streets with practical, affordable measures.

Category: Climate Change Adaptation | Urban Development

2–3 hoursIntroductory4 steps

Your journey Start this pathway and work through its steps, then pass the quiz. Your progress is saved to your account, and you can download your record of completion when you complete the pathway.

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Your learning steps

What you'll learn

  • Explain why extreme heat is a governance issue for city departments, not only a health issue.
  • Describe how cities communicate heat risk to residents before and during a heatwave.
  • Identify practical cooling measures for schools, surfaces and buildings.

Course content

4 steps • 2–3 hours total
Beating the heat: A sustainable cooling handbook for citiesFramework / Guideline • C40 Cities

Open resource: Beating the heat: A sustainable cooling handbook for cities

Why this step: Start with the basics: what sustainable cooling means for a city and the options available.

Extreme heat risk governance framework and toolFramework / Guideline • C40 Cities

Open resource: Extreme heat risk governance framework and tool

Why this step: See how a heat risk governance framework assigns roles across city departments.

Communicating Heat Risk: Experiences from C40’s Cool Cities NetworkReport • C40 Cities

Open resource: Communicating Heat Risk: Experiences from C40’s Cool Cities Network

Why this step: Learn how cities warn residents about heat, and which messages reach people at risk.

Cooling schools: Experiences from C40’s Cool Cities NetworkReport • C40 Cities

Open resource: Cooling schools: Experiences from C40’s Cool Cities Network

Why this step: Close with a practical case: how cities are keeping school buildings cool.