European heat planning should draw on African adaptation models, writers say

European countries facing repeated heatwaves should study adaptation practices developed in African cities and communities, Wole Hammond and Ellen Davies argued in an Al Jazeera opinion essay published July 18. Their argument matters because extreme heat is now testing public health, housing, transport and energy systems in wealthier countries that have often treated adaptation as a lower priority.

Hammond and Davies wrote that record temperatures are putting pressure on hospitals, disrupting travel and making public spaces more dangerous in the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Germany and the Balkans. They said Europe is beginning to experience climate pressures that many African communities have addressed for years, including higher temperatures, irregular rainfall, drought, water stress and weak public infrastructure.

The writers said African responses should not be copied without changes. Any measure developed in one city would need to be tested against local geography, building rules, culture and government capacity before use elsewhere, they wrote.

Design, trees and health systems

One area they highlighted is building design. Hammond and Davies pointed to work by West African architects including Francis Kere, who they said has used Indigenous techniques and local materials to reduce heat inside buildings. Their examples included reflective roofs, thicker walls and window and ventilation designs that cool spaces without relying heavily on air conditioning.

They argued that those ideas are relevant to European cities with older housing that was not built for long periods of high heat. The writers also said growing air-conditioning demand can strain electricity grids, making lower-energy cooling methods worth closer attention.

Hammond and Davies also cited Sierra Leone’s “Freetown the Tree Town” programme, which they described as a large-scale tree-planting effort intended to reduce the urban heat island effect. They said the programme is funded through the carbon credit market and could offer lessons to dense European cities with extensive paved areas and limited tree cover.

Public health was another focus of the essay. The writers said African heat adaptation efforts often work through primary health centres and public health officers to reach people in informal settlements and other high-risk settings.

They cited Burkina Faso’s national heatwave alert system as an example that goes beyond forecasts. According to Hammond and Davies, the system promotes hydration, encourages people to reduce exposure during the hottest parts of the day and supports door-to-door checks on vulnerable residents.

Adaptation as shared expertise

The writers said Europe’s exposed groups, including older people living alone, outdoor workers and residents of poorly insulated homes, could benefit from more targeted community-based health measures rather than broad public warnings alone.

Hammond and Davies argued that adaptation should be treated as innovation, not only as emergency response or aid. They said the global system has often paid for disasters after they happen while underfunding measures that reduce risk in advance.

Their essay called for more support for African cities, researchers, health institutions and community groups to test and expand adaptation work. It also urged more direct exchange between municipalities, public health officials, architects, planners and engineers across continents.

Hammond and Davies wrote that Africa is often discussed mainly through vulnerability to climate stress, but that view misses its record of invention and practical expertise. As Europe prepares for hotter conditions, they said, it should look to communities and institutions that have already built responses under difficult conditions.

This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.