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.

 

Earth Day 2026: Power to She Who Works the Earth

 April 22nd has been observed as Earth Day since 1970 the first time through American efforts to channel student anti-war efforts into an environmental movement. Fifty-seven years on Earth Day is observed across the planet and has encompassed many activities to protect the planet. 

Source: Photo of the earth as a Pale Blue Dot suspended on a sunbeam captured by the Voyager 1 space probe from 6 million kilometers away and sent on Valentine's Day 1990 after multiple requests by American Astronomer and Planetary Scientist Carl Sagan. 

Our Power, Our Planet

The theme for Earth Day 2026 is "Our Power, Our Planet" which can be interpreted in multiple ways.

While the main focus is Energy Security through boosting SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy - a Just Transition to Renewable Energy, vital in these times of an Energy Shock due to the choking of the Strait of Hormuz, another aspect is  a call for all of us to use our power for the planet - individually or collectively. The Environmentalist Foundation of India's (EFI) call for a #BlueGreenCleanVote in the Legislative Assembly Elections is a great demonstration of this.

EFI Founder Arun Krishnamurthy of Tambaram, Chennai, Calls for a Blue Green Clean Vote in Tamil Nadu State Elections 2026.

This involves building Sustainable Communities and Sustainable Cities (SDG 11). Literally on Earth Day in the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF2026) and the International Year of the Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP2026) both championed by the UN's Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO) it makes sense that the focus is on "Saving the Soil." Overuse of soil, GMO seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and antibiotics as well as the all pervasive plastic and microplastics pollution has degraded soil fertility and soil quality across the planet. The possible fertilizer crisis due to the disruption of the supply of crude oil from the unstable Middle East could be an opportunity to train and transition justly to organic farming.

This could be a great time to empower women farmers and smallholding farmers to become organic farmers, natural farmers and friends of the soils. Training and in-the-field, 24-hour big data--mapped support could transform the lives of farmers already pushed to the brink by various factors including price rise all around except seemingly for their hard-grown products. CSR, ESG, local governments, panchayats, NGOs and PPP programs could all be tailored to empowering farmers to transition to organic or natural farming as well as solar powered irrigation systems. 

 For Farmers and Soil Health: For the Planet

To use power for the planet - literal clean energy or that of people is vital in these troubled times of climate crises, environmental crises, economic crises and conflicts. In order to achieve human security we need to ensure self-reliance, sustainability and self-sufficiency - food security, water security, energy security. By empowering those who grow our food and the very earth than nourishes it we can definitely improve lives of not just farmers but our whole population. 

A ground up, hands on strategy to transition to organic and natural farming while  empowering and training women farmers and smallholders is a step in the right direction and is much needed on Earth Day and beyond. 

It's our home.

This Earth Day, see our planet as our Artemis II astronauts saw it with these new images from the mission. pic.twitter.com/ne0ZwqtqOc

— NASA (@NASA) April 22, 2026

Takeaways from the ADB Healthy Oceans Forum: Innovations for WWD, Coastal & Ocean Resilience

 While participating online at the First Asian Development Bank (ADB) Healthy Oceans Tech & Finance Forum: Innovations Solutions for Asia and the Pacific I gained insights on many on paths to Coastal & Ocean Resilience, especially in Asia-Pacific. With Wetlands being a key ecosystem covered and with World Wetlands Day (WWD) being observed on February 2, 2022 with the theme 'Wetlands Action for People and Nature' it makes sense to highlight takeaways from the ADB Healthy Oceans Forum that focus on Wetlands and building coastal resilience. 

Ahead of the #ADBHealthyOceans Tech & Finance Forum on Jan 26-28, read the #OceanPanel-commissioned guide that identifies the what, why & how of a #SustainableOceanPlan for maximum delivery of benefits for people, nature & the economy.@ADBEnvironment

👉https://t.co/oibaNIAVTL pic.twitter.com/xuGxpO0Faf

— Ocean Panel (@oceanpanel) January 19, 2022

Now, ADB has committed to raise funds to restore wetlands in the Asia-Pacific. In India, Maharashtra's wetlands as well as rural connectivity is being funded by ADB projects in collaboration with the state government. Previously ADB has helped bring back beaches, restore shorelines and revitalize the coastal zone in Ullal, Karnataka, through sustainable costal protection and management. 

This project in itself and efforts to restore wetlands are big wins for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Also by building in Gender Equality into the framework of the ADB Blue Loans and Blue Bonds funded Blue Future, more women entrepreneurs and women-led initiatives are being offered funding for projects to improve ocean and coastal resilience and mainstream Blue Foods and sustainable aquaculture to boost the economy and ecology.

Wetlands include marsh, swamp and mire (bog and fen). A mangrove is a tide-influenced wetland complex and are bio-diverse carbon-fixing ecosystems at the borders of land and oceans. Thus restoring wetlands and building up coastal resilience by funding and empowering farmers, SMEs and the government can ensure climate action as well as all the other Global Goals. While forests are referred to as the lungs of the planet, wetlands are called the kidneys of planet. But both are vital organs essential for the health of the planets and its inhabitants.

I covered the Plastics-Free Oceans spotlight of the ADB Healthy Oceans in the January 2022 RE-plastic blog post. I have also covered the importance of Wetlands and WWD before (2021 & February 2020) in posts blogs. Revitalizing and restoring wetlands, which are being drained and destroyed faster than forests enables sequestering lots more carbon dioxide than just in forests (SDG13). If forests are slashed for farmland, wetlands are "reclaimed" to expand cities and enable the urban sprawl. Most of the world's capitals, metros and megacities are built on wetlands. Examples span from Washington, DC to Venice to Mumbai and Chennai. Be it South America's Pantanal or South Asia's Sunderbans as well as the mangroves and wetlands along major rivers or the confluence of rivers and great urban centres, these biodiverse wetlands that are our main defense from climate catastrophes are most at risk. They are being destroyed much faster than forests. At the threshold of life on land (SDG15) and life below water (SDG14), their revitalization can revitalize the economy and empower the marginalized faster than most other efforts. The Coastal Resilience, Blue Foods and Ocean Finance streams of the ADB forum showcased many such restoration examples and experts. ADB's 5 billion dollar Healthy Oceans Action Plan launched in May 2019 is a great beginning.

Powerful #ADBHealthyOceans plenary scene setting by #photographer @jgbmejia #wetlands hero & @NatGeo explorer.
Gr8 recommendations:
Harness your talent, your voice & your story to power your action for the #environment
Looking fwd to Day2 @ADBEnvironment #SDG13 #SDG14 #SDG15 pic.twitter.com/zja5OY7SaV

— Raakhee Suryaprakash (@10sunshinegal) January 27, 2022

The Regenerative Blue Economy model powered by renewable energy (SDG 7) for Just Transition is a great path to sustainable development and climate resilience. Women-led mangrove re-planting and lake and flood-plains reclamation have had more community participation than purely government or corporate restoration projects. For People and Planet we need action for wetlands. And the designation of many wetland as Ramsar sites is a great step forward.