Nature-based cooling solutions for cities

As cities across South Asia face rising heatwaves and the growing burden of urban heat islands, this special issue brings together global, regional, and local experiences to explore nature-based solutions (NbS) for urban cooling. It presents NbS not only as an environmental necessity but as a climate justice tool—especially for those living and working in heat-stressed informal settlements, small businesses, and high-density areas.

The issue features 16 valuable contributions from India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Jordan, Kenya, and the wider BIMSTEC region. These include:

• Urban forest patches, wetland restoration, green corridors, shaded schoolyards, and high-albedo surfaces as practical and scalable NbS strategies.
• Heritage-based solutions such as stepwells, courtyards, and vernacular architecture that traditionally offered natural cooling.
• Youth-led urban greening efforts across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Policy frameworks and pilot programs from India’s Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, and National Cooling Action Plan.
• Scientific evidence showing that nature-based cooling can lower local temperatures by 2–10°C and contribute to public health, mental well-being, and biodiversity.

At its core, this issue calls for:

• Seeing nature as living infrastructure,
• NbS leading in planning and finance, and
• Building local ownership through community participation in nature restoration.

Released ahead of the IUCN World Conservation Congress (October 9–15, 2025, Abu Dhabi), this issue serves as a knowledge product, advocacy tool, and action agenda for the participating cities striving to become cooler, greener, and more inclusive of all humans and nature.

In This Issue:

1. Introduction by Prajna Paramita Panda, Program Manager & Member, IUCN SSC AsESG, India and Mihir R. Bhatt, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India
2. Reducing the People–Planet Distance: AIDMI’s Path with Nature-Based Solutions by Mihir R. Bhatt, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India
3. Youth Engagement and Nature-based Cooling Solutions: A Global Imperative for Climate Resilience by Tony Nello, Senior Programme Coordinator – Urban, IUCN, Costa Rica, USA
4. Applying Dryland Restoration Principles to Nature-Based Cooling in Cities – A Jordanian Perspective by Khaled Marafi, Ecosystem Management Expert, Candidate – Jordan IUCN Regional Council, West Asia
5. Heritage as Heat Shield: Reviving Traditional Wisdom for Urban Cooling in India by Manu Bhatnagar, Principal Director, Natural Heritage Division, INTACH, New Delhi, India
6. Urban Growth and the Role of Nature-based Solutions in Shaping a Climate-Resilient Nagpur by Prajakta Pimpalshende, and Shalini Dhyani, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Maharashtra; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Uttar Pradesh, India
7. Nature-Based Cooling as a Strategy for Heat Adaptation by Nupur Khanter, Research Associate, Transitions Research, India
8. NbS and Urban Heat Adaptation in Bangladesh: A Comparative Scenario of Satkhira and Bagerhat Municipalities by Muhammad Abdur Rahaman, Director, Center for People and Environ, Dhaka, Bangladesh
9. Integrating Nature-Based Cooling Solutions for Urban Infrastructure in Bangladesh by Abul Kalam Azad, Senior Environmental & Social Safeguard Specialist, Local Govt. Engineering Department (LGED), Dhaka, Bangladesh
10. Greening Urban India: Cooling Heatwaves by Designing with Nature by Prachi Gupta, Seema Mundoli and Harini Nagendra, Azim Premji University, India
11. Nature-Based Cooling Solutions for Cities: AIDMI’s Call for Urban Resilience by Vishal Pathak, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India
12. Cooling Cities: Agenda for BIMSTEC in the Age of Climate Extremes by Shreedhar Joshi, Alumnus of MIT World Peace University, Pune, Maharashtra, India
13. Nature-Based Cooling and Youth Engagement in African Cities by Ben Akatch and Dr. Margaret Otieno, Wildlife Clubs, Kenya
14. Cooling Our Cities: Nature-Based Strategies to Beat Urban Heat by Shyamji, Research Scholar in Disaster Management, Jamsetji Tata School of Disaster Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
15. Nature-Inspired High-Albedo Surfaces: Cow Dung Paint for Heat-Resilient Indian Cities by Era Upadhyay, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Rajasthan, India
16. Nature-based Cooling Solutions for Cities in Nepal by Roshani Adhikari Pathak, Candidate for IUCN Regional Councillor- South and East Asia from Nepal
17. Way Ahead by Prajna Paramita Panda, Program Manager & Member, IUCN SSC AsESG, India and Mihir R. Bhatt, All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI), India