Some Solutions for Simmering Cities: SDG 13

 In the news: an Extreme Heat event at London Climate Action Week (June 20-28, 2026) was cancelled due to Extreme Heat! If that isn't a scream for Climate Action (SDG 13) from our fast warming planet due to our actions I don't know what is!

First World Problems Lead to Action

Europe and North America's infrastructure is geared towards surviving winters rather than facing extreme heat and heatwaves in summer. As our climate crisis was in large part a legacy of the Industrial Revolution and industrialization originating in the First World (read: UK, Europe and USA and Canada,... Japan not so much!), climate action there and a policy shift towards a circular economy model will boost sustainable development and climate adaptation like nothing else.  

Just as urban centers are perceived as the loci of effective climate action and climate policy locally and nationally, globally the First World - the Developed Countries are seen as climate action and more importantly climate finance hubs.

The series of extreme weather events that are not the norm -- Extreme Heat in UK and Europe (midsummer 2026), heavy rains and landslides in Switzerland in 2024, and hailstorm and flash flooding on an Idaho summer day in the United States (June 2026) -- could demonstrate the urgency related to the climate crisis right at their doorstep and prompt climate mitigation, climate adaptation and climate finance. 

European Climate Action

In the short term creation of public cool hubs, crocheted shades like the one's done by Spanish grandmas - senior knitters in the heatwaves of 2024 are temporary fixes to the extreme heat crisis.

Talking long term, Spain's transition to solar energy with massive investment on revamping its grid to accommodate electricity generated from renewable sources is a huge win for climate action. Barcelona's affordable and climate smart housing is a great example of Climate Action and Just Transition. Spain is a bit of a poster child of climate action and just transition as it has long been facing extreme weather events (forest fires, flooding, heat waves) and economic crises which it has through recent policy sought to tackle together -  sustainable development and just transition - climate justice for all!

Germany and the UK demolishing and retiring their coal-fire/thermal power plants also massively cut their carbon footprint. The growing contribution of renewable energy in American, British and European is both about energy security (while war rages in regions producing and in shipping routes of fossil fuels) as well as climate action through putting climate policy into practice.

Germany's super efficient waste recycling system (Gruener Punkt system since 1990) is another great example of the circular economy and success stories of both Responsible Production and Consumption (SDG 12) and SDG 13.

How India Beats the Heat

Tamil Nadu's Cool Roof Initiative promoted by UNEP award-winning TN Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu as well as a growing chain of climate-proof rest hubs for gig workers across India as well as insurance for income lost due to extreme weather are some concrete actions to tackle extreme heat across India.

The cool roof initiatives - painting the roofs with reflective weather-sheild white coating cools the temperure up to 5 degrees and is getting popular in lower income urban islands across India. It's a Just Transition win.

Reclamation and restoration of water bodies across India and Miyawaki Forest planting across urban India also counters the Urban Heat Island effect.  But there initiatives are few and far between. 

Heat Action Plans and Heat Emergency Rooms in place also tackles emergency situations that arise across Indian Summers both in northern dry heat hubs and southern hot and humid regions. 

The Climate Crisis Discriminates 

Climate Action Now

Climate Justice & Just Transition 

On 1 June 2026 Global Parents Day (though India & US celebrate Parents Day on 26th July - 26-7-26) was observed. As the climate crisis triggers extreme weather it puts older parents at risk and young people are actvely rethinking actually becoming parents.  

Thus climate action like curbing individual, family, community and national carbon and ecological footprints is a great step forward. 

As mentioned many times on this blog since January 2019, you can calculate your carbon footprint and work out how to adopt an ecofriendly lifestyle with Only Planet. 

A sustainable mode of transport is a great place to start and the fact that World Bicycle Day was observed on 3 June 2026 with the theme: “Cycling for a Greener Future” is another obvious hint from the universe to adopt a sustainable way of life. 

In a bit of good news the fact that Earth Overshoot Day is nearly a week later in 2026 than in 2025 is an indicator of a small step to responsibly use the planet's resources. Its on 30 July 2026 where last year we began living on borrowed resources on 26 July 2025 itself.

 

Of Ecosystems and Solstice

 As mentioned in previous June posts in this blog, this month is about celebrating ecosystems and the solstice. 

June 21st is the Solstice - Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere with the longest day and Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere with the shortest day. More recently June 21st has also been observed as International Day of Yoga. The sun salutation or Surya Namaskar being central to yogic practices thus apt to coincide with the Solstice.

Source: "Solstice Sun Salutations," 21 June 2026, Meraki by Me, Raakhee

Combating Desertification and Drought

Meanwhile June 17th is observed as the International Day to Combat Desertification and Drought with the 2026 theme being "Rangelands: Recognize, Respect, Restore" which dovetails well with the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) declaration of 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. 

The Icelandic practice of Rettir - the annual sheep roundup is especially vital to the nation's horses, horse-riding traditions as well as the delicate ecosystems of that Land of Fire and Ice. The sheep and the horses in the pastures help maintain the highlands in spring as well as the flocks and herds health through the year. This traditional cherishing of the wild spirit - the roaming - of the horses and flocks feels especially right in 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse.

In the context of reversing desertification and grasslands and pastures, it becomes vital to talk of the solarization and use of solar sheep to fight the creeping desert in Talatan in  China's Qinghai Province. As this Facebook reel puts it, the construction of the Talatan Solar Park -the size of Singapore at the edge of the desert has helped create a microclimate that sustains green cover - so much so sheep needed to be brought in to control the grass and weeds (Solar Sheep!) thus generating power, pasture and profits in the region.

Rangelands such as the Rakhals in the Salt Desert, Kutch district of Gujarat in India and the Gujjars and Bakkerwals - nomadic  pastoralists of Jammu and Kashmir provide vital oases and ecosystem services respectively. 

SDGs at Play 

Healthy ecosystems and practices and people who consolidate them automatically boost the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a whole as well as directly and indirectly.

The ecosystem services of nomadic pastoralists such as the Gujjars and Bakkerwals in Jammu helo with watershed management (SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation) as much as SDG 15 - Life on Land.

The sensitive Rakhal rangelands and traditional knowledge that maintains them is vital in the harsh environs of the Salt Desert which is nevertheless home to a vast interdependent biodiversity thus healthy rakhals boosts SDG 15. 

The introduction of the Solar Park at the edge of the desert in China ensured SDG 7 - Access to Affordable and Clean Energy as well as combating Drought and Desertification thus boosting SDG 15 as well as tackling the region's health and nutrition requirements (SDG 2 - Zero Hunger, SDG 3 - Good Health and Wellbeing).

Rainforests

The theme for Rainforests Day 2026, observed annually on June 22nd, the day after the June Solstice, is "The Forest Within You." Rainforests in addition to being the lungs of the planet and massive carbon sinks are also vital biodiversity and traditional medicine hotspots. They are also the source of our water security as many mighty rivers emerge from the rainforests that sustain life and livelihoods. Nothing heals like forests and forest products and this is exponentially more relevant with regard to rainforests. 

In 2026, the search engine Ecosia reached and exceeded its goal of planting 250 million trees through its searches. Most of this was done through empowering local communities and restoring forests, watersheds and reviving biodiversity not just increasing green cover.

Rainforests also protect and support many indigenous and tribal communities  that are imperiled by modern way of life.  Thus it is heartening to hear news of the Amazon healing (RE-green - Earthshot Prize 2026 - Restore Earth) and Southeast Asian conservationists and environmental activists such as Theonila Roka Matbob in 2026, who halt its encroachment, like in Papua New Ginea's rainforests by the devastation of Rio Tinto the mining company, being honored with the Green Nobel - Goldman Environmental Prize 2026  as well as Whitley Award for Indonesia's Leuser Rainforest. 

The $10 million XPrize for Rainforests is more tech focused but also focused on monitoring rainforests and enable local indigenous communities' stewardship of them, e.g., Limelight Rainforest. 

Thus the restoration of ecosystems is helping slowly and locally and globally improving people, planet and prosperity - slowly but surely. 

Saving Oceans and Ocean Life: For Climate, For Our Future

While May's observations were about biodiversity, June is about the ecosystems that support them and the processes and species that are indicative of ecosystem health. The  environment, the ocean, prevention of desertification through rangeland management, the summer solstice as well as rainforests day. Protecting and restoring ecosystems is vital to enable climate action (SDG 13) and thus ensure a future for ourselves.

 June 8th is observed annually as World  Oceans Day. In 2026 it has a three themes, the United Nations' evocative theme was:

REIMAGINE: Beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean.

 

The World Ocean Day network that supports "a multi-year initiative to drive collective action for ocean health and climate stability, supporting the global '30x30' goal to protect at least 30% of oceans by 2030"  has amore action oriented Oceans Day 2026 theme: 

“Strong Marine Protected Areas for Our Blue Planet” 

 “Catalyzing Action for Our Ocean & Climate”

Source: Meraki By Me, Raakhee, 16 April 2026.

Orca Awareness Month and Sea Turtle Day

June is observed as Orca Awareness Month and June 16th is Sea Turtle Day, both species at the top of their respective food chains are indicators of Ocean Health.

The apex predator - the Orca or Killer Whale the largest of the dolphin family as an alpha in many ways is rightly celebrated through the month of June. 

Meanwhile the sea turtle is no slouch as efforts to restore its population have improved ocean connected lives and livelihoods in coastal areas especially in Tamil Nadu this year. Also, it was originally a video of a pulling out a plastic straw from the bloody nostril of a sea turtle that exponentially improved legislations and efforts to clean up beaches, oceans as well as ban the use of single use plastic including the young people initiated No Straw November movement from California. 

Marine Plastic Pollution & OBP Menace

Be it the massive Ocean Cleanup  organized by Boyan Slat since 2013 after encountering the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or our local heroes working to restore the ocean and coastal ecosystems (river estuaries and mangroves) by cleaning it up and removing the plastic pollution from it and preventing city plastic reaching the oceans through urban waterways (ocean bound plastic), each are Ocean heroes and their efforts build sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) while also improving the lives of local coastal communities ( SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth). In a way they are humans churning the ocean through cleanup (EFI & Its Weekend Beach Cleanup OhShun Trash; Afroz Shah cleaning up Mumbai's mangroves and tourist beaches, Bapi Gochhayat of Odisha, or Taiwan's Ryan Wang of Rhinoglass and many many more)  to reveal its secrets and treasures to sustain us humans in the future. Buffeted as we are by the climate crisis we need this modern human churning of the ocean.

Sustaining Life and Livelihoods: SDG 14

Life and Livelihoods, Blue Economy and Sustainable Development and  Climate Action efforts on the ocean create economic opportunities and wealth sustainably while also protecting the ocean ecosystem and our environment. Be it SDG 14 - Life Below Water or SDG 13 - Climate Action the Ocean SDGs & Economy SDGs (SDG 8, SDG 9, SDG 10) there is hope in peaceful coexistence through restoration of the ocean as well as protecting it well. Sustainable coastal and marine tourism is just one such opportunity. 

For Climate:  For Our Future 

Oceans are heaven as well as the best carbon store. It is through protecting our marine ecosystems can we ensure true climate action on an exponential scale. Strong Marine Protected Areas will lead to carbon credits and indirect carbon sequestration as well as improving  the lives and livelihoods of adjacent local communities. 

A bonus for getting to the end of this blog post

In honor of Oceans Day and my ocean-loving young nephew's birthday all in the same week in June I have recorded a playlist of 8 videos of the 8 chapters of the story, The Hermit and the Rose by Boris Lakhoder - a creative and imaginative explanation of the real-life symbiosis between the hermit crab and the sea anemone. 

Protect Our Environment: For Our Future

 If May was about biodiversity. June is all about ecosystems. As mentioned in the previous post the theme for World Environment Day 2026 (WED2026) is

Inspired by Nature.

For Climate.

For Our Future.

Source: Meraki By Me, Raakhee, 5 June 2026.

Protecting Our Environment

The month of June while observed as Orca Awareness Month (All About Killer Whales) otherwise has an enhanced focus on the ecosystems that support the biodiversity that's celebrated through May. 

Between World Bicycle Day (June 3rd, "Cycling into a Greener Future," 2026 theme), Environment Day (June 5th), Ocean Day (June 8th), International Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (June 17th), the Summer Solstice (also observed as Yoga Day, where Surya Namaskar a.k.a. Sun Salutations from India in the Northern Hemisphere is vital to the ancient practice and the sun too reaches its exaltation over the Tropic of Cancer running through the heart of India with two Sun Temples in the East and West along the latitude), and Rainforests Day (June 22nd), the focus is firmly on the ecosystems and environment that supports life and livelihoods. 

The time is now. Action is necessary urgently as security risks abound in India, South Asia and beyond due to climate change and the heating planet supercharging weather phenomena such as the El Nino. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres himself took time out to mention the impending climate disasters likely triggered by the Super El Nino as warned by the World Meteorological Organization: 

While our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are environment coded, protecting our planet in the quest to truly progress is all about putting people, planet, progress and profits in the same page of the plan of action. 

As mentioned by internationally recognized voice from the Global South for the environment, Centre for Science and Environment's (CSE) Sunita Narain in her insightful analysis ahead of WED2026 in the CSE publication Down To Earth, inclusive growth and sustainable development in modeling our growth story is vital to protect our environment: 

Inclusive plans of action and an intersectional lens are vital features of true environmentalism. The effects of the climate crisis are gendered and classist hence the process of protecting our environment needs to voices of women, girls, minorities and the marginalized, with a responsive ground up, grassroots grown approach.

For Our Future 

Nations are institutions are doing quite a bit to protect our environment "for our future," but a lot more needs to be done. 

The pace of destructive activity and our crude oil addiction outpaces conservation and restoration efforts and the mainstreaming of renewable energy sources.  

Ecofeminism is needed as the growth model now more than ever. Gender Equality (SDG5), Reduced Inequality (SDG10) and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG16) are all vital to Climate Action (SDG13) and the path to Just Transition and robust environmentalism. 

Meanwhile, as an individual, this environment day and beyond you can track your personal carbon footprint (Check out OnlyPlanet.in) and find means to shrink it to reduce your impact on the environment in order to protect it ... for our future. For, to quote the immortal Jane Goodall, 

"Every single one of us makes an impact on our planet every single day and we can choose what kind of impact we make."