Strengthening resilience to extreme heat – an Adelaide case study

What does extreme heat risk look like in everyday life? This place-based case study explores how heat manifests in an urban context through a systems lens, examining the interconnected roles of housing and urban development, the natural environment, health, at-risk populations, workplaces and schools, disaster risk management and early warning systems, energy and critical infrastructure, and community awareness and cultural norms.

A fictional family narrative runs alongside the analysis, bringing systemic risks to life and illustrating how compounding pressures unfold during heat events. The report identifies locally relevant leverage points and offers transferable insights for cities seeking to strengthen heat resilience.

This report forms part of the first Post-Event Review Capability (PERC) on extreme heat, with the findings unfolding across three interconnected reports: Understanding Extreme Heat and Entry Points for Action and Heat Stress at Work. Together, they build a layered picture of how extreme heat risk is shaped, experienced and addressed.

PERC is a systematic framework for analysing disaster events and was collaboratively delivered by Australian Red Cross, ISET-International, Monash University, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Zurich Australia, with support from Zurich Insurance Group.