News Desk Report
Paris, April 1, 2026 — HERA (formerly Climate Resilience for All) has launched the Heat Science Hotline, a free, rapid-response service connecting policymakers, community organizations, journalists, and donors directly to a multidisciplinary board of leading global heat, climate, and health experts.
The Hotline provides evidence-based guidance on heat-related issues, tailored to specific projects and contexts, helping to translate complex science into practical decisions. The service is designed to support those on the frontlines of extreme heat, including decision-makers and community organizations, by providing quick access to actionable, locally grounded science.
The Heat Science Hotline is powered by a growing board of experts working across six continents, with most members based in the Global South. The board is co-chaired by Neha Mankani of the International Confederation of Midwives, and founder of the Mama Baby Fund in Pakistan, and Gregory Wellenius, environmental epidemiologist, professor, and Director of the Center for Climate and Health at Boston University.
Neha Mankani said, “Working with women and babies during extreme heat, I’ve seen what happens when policy does not reflect frontline realities. Integrating evidence with practitioner insight from these settings is essential to delivering better outcomes for babies and families.”
Gregory Wellenius emphasized, “The breadth of expertise is deliberate. No single discipline can capture the full complexity of heat risk and resilience. Looking at problems from multiple perspectives allows us to identify what might otherwise be missed—a cooling center plan that overlooks the distinctive needs of seniors, women, or families, or an urban greening initiative that fails to build heat resilience in an equitable manner.”
Kathy Baughman McLeod, founder and CEO of HERA, stated, “We are in a global heat emergency, and the people working hardest to respond are doing so half-blindfolded. The science exists. The expertise exists. The Heat Science Hotline makes both visible and transforms that disconnect by grounding solutions in the best available science.”
Jess Ayers, CEO of QCF, noted, “One of the biggest challenges in building heat resilience is turning insight into action under pressure. Approaches that make practical support more accessible can help close that gap.”
Betty Osei Bonsu Adjei, Director, Operations & Programs, Green Africa Youth Organization, said, “The Heat Science Hotline will be a critical tool for us, helping to ensure that our solutions are grounded in sound science and shaped by the realities people are experiencing now. Young people are already leading climate action across Africa. With the right expertise at our fingertips, we can move faster, design better, and better support communities to respond to both the urgency and the opportunities of this moment.”
The Hotline identifies effective interventions, translates intersectional science into clear guidance, navigates funding and policy processes, and pinpoints localized impacts and risks. The service goes beyond generative AI, with human experience and multidimensional perspectives.
Users can submit questions online and receive tailored responses for specific projects and policies. The Hotline catalogs all answers and learnings to share knowledge publicly.
The launch of the Heat Science Hotline aims to address the growing need for effective heat solutions, as extreme heat becomes an increasingly pressing global issue.
Source: www.climatewatchonline.com
