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A new Comment published in Nature Climate Change, proposes a global framework integrating climate, health and governance to address the rise in extreme heat
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Drawing on Spanish practices and perspectives, the authors aim to extract lessons with global relevance
Climate shelters are people-centred urban adaptation measures to reduce heat-related risks. | Lisa DiAntonio via Pixabay
A multidisciplinary scientific team led by the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), through the Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG), has authored a Comment in Nature Climate Change examining how to protect populations from extreme heat through climate shelters, with particular attention to the Spanish case.
The publication includes contributions from CSIC researchers at MBG and the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), the Digital Transformation and Governance Research Centre (DIGIT, Open University of Catalonia), the GEORIESGOS group (University of La Laguna), the Climatology Group at the University of Barcelona, and the Fabra Observatory.
“Heat causes around 500,000 deaths per year worldwide, making it the deadliest environmental hazard. As extreme temperature events become more frequent, intense and prolonged due to climate change, ensuring thermal comfort has become imperative for local governments, particularly in vulnerable areas and populations. In this context, climate shelters are becoming critical components of urban adaptation strategies”, explains Dominc Roye, a Ramón y Cajal researcher at MBG, where he leads the Bioclimatology and Global Change group.
“We considered it necessary to provide a well-founded reflection on this issue, whose scientific interest and social relevance are particularly significant. To this end, we prepared a Comment aimed at offering a rigorous scientific perspective that helps clarify the debate and situate the topic within the current research framework,” explains the researcher, co-author of the publication, which is available in open access from today and analyses how the Spanish experience with climate shelters can contribute to a global discussion on how to protect populations from extreme heat.
Spain, where Barcelona was a pioneer in adopting this approach, has developed one of the most advanced climate shelter networks in the world. The principles identified are transferable to different regions and contexts, showing that climate shelters can be a powerful tool to reduce heat exposure, but only if they are established as stable, accessible services designed to meet real needs, rather than as one-off measures. The authors also stress that “design must take into account environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, solar radiation and wind speed in outdoor spaces, as well as the passive cooling capacity of buildings in indoor shelters.”
In Spain, the summer of 2025 was the warmest on record and the second in terms of heat-related mortality, with an estimated 15,711 deaths linked to heat. Crucially, 10,831 of these deaths were associated with prolonged exposure to moderately high temperatures, whose effects accumulate even in the absence of heat alerts. This highlights the need for shelter networks that provide reliable protection during sustained thermal stress, not only during extreme heat episodes.
The authors analyse examples of evolving climate shelter networks in Spain, including good practices and areas for improvement across the dimensions of climate, people and health, and governance, such as the Spanish Office for Climate Change (OECC) and the Spanish Network of Cities for Climate, the Government of the Valencian Community, the Government of the Canary Islands and Barcelona City Council.
“Shelters can host cultural, recreational and social activities, serve as spaces for working, studying or resting during extreme weather events, and act as community resilience hubs, beyond being mere emergency facilities. Accessibility standards, free entry, extended opening hours and decent conditions are essential. Operational success depends on integration between heat alert systems, public health management and shelter activation,” they note.
As highlighted in the paper, in Spain local governments are usually the main actors responsible for creating and maintaining climate shelter networks, but their success depends on a network of committed, coordinated and empowered stakeholders.
“What we observe in Spain can inspire other countries, but each territory must adapt climate shelters to its climate, patterns of vulnerability and public space culture. There is no one-size-fits-all model; the key is to ensure climate justice and citizen participation,” adds Marta Olazabal (Ikerbasque–BC3), co-author of the publication.
She notes that “many countries are beginning to explore similar initiatives, although implementation requires adapting strategies to local vulnerabilities, institutional capacities and diverse socio-economic conditions.”
The team highlights three key elements that should guide the design and expansion of these networks:
- local climate knowledge
- operational integration with public health systems
- consolidation of governance models that prioritise equity and institutional collaboration
“Public authorities must strengthen technical and financial support for these networks. Current responses to extreme heat are often reactive and ad hoc, but they need to evolve into continuous planning processes integrating climatic, social, health and governance dimensions. Only in this way can climate shelters become long-term infrastructures for protection, care and urban resilience,” they conclude.
Further exploration and practical implementation are needed. First, knowledge exchange remains fragmented, uptake of guidelines is limited, and there is little empirical evidence on the actual effectiveness of climate shelters in Spain, which hinders scaling up pilot projects. Second, lessons from specific contexts still need to be transferred to different environments, taking into account local needs, resources and traditions in the use of public and private space. The effectiveness of climate shelter networks depends on local governance, regulatory and institutional support, as well as community participation, sustainable funding and proper resource management. Third, it is essential to understand who is vulnerable, to what, and why.
Royé D., Amorim‑Maia A. T., Jiménez‑Navarro E., López‑Díez A., Tobías A., Martín‑Vide J., Olazabal M. (2026). Pioneering Spanish experience in climate shelters practice. Nature Climate Change.
