Tucson Standard

A new federally funded center will utilize the expertise of the University of Arizona (UArizona) to aid communities across the United States in managing extreme heat. Announced by the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Center for Heat Resilient Communities aims to transform climate research into actionable policies.

The center, which includes partner institutions such as Arizona State University and is led by UCLA faculty, has received a $2.25 million grant from the Department of Commerce and NOAA for a three-year period. Approximately $108,000 of this funding will be allocated to UArizona.

Ladd Keith, an associate professor at UArizona's College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, will lead the university's efforts within the center. Keith stated: "What we'll do with the center is take the best practices that we've seen quickly develop in some places, take the best science and research being conducted and translate that into actionable policies that communities can do on the ground."

Keith also highlighted that this initiative offers UArizona a chance to extend its land-grant mission beyond state borders: "The center provides the University of Arizona the opportunity to take what we do best as a land-grant institution and serve communities across the country," he said.

Emphasizing ongoing resilience efforts due to climate change, Keith noted: "Heat resilience is really this idea that we're in a world where climate change is going to be constantly pushing us to new temperature thresholds with new extreme heat risks." He added that resilience requires continuous adaptation as community needs evolve over time.

Launching at an opportune moment when some government leaders are prioritizing heat-related issues, Keith mentioned examples like Arizona and Phoenix appointing chief heat officers. However, smaller communities often lack resources for quick action; hence, researchers aim for national momentum through partnerships with 30 diverse U.S. communities.

Over three years, these collaborations will focus on policy development while offering guidance on implementation steps based on recommendations from experts spanning academia to private sectors—leveraging their network towards effective community planning strategies against rising temperatures nationwide.

The Center for Heat Resilient Communities places particular emphasis on supporting disadvantaged groups—including tribal populations—through culturally sensitive approaches aligned with Indigenous customs via partnerships facilitated by entities like Native Nations Institute (NNI). Stephanie Carroll—a researcher involved with NNI—stressed understanding longstanding relationships between tribes' lands alongside traditional scientific knowledge: "It's not only about learning right way think tribes bringing them table...Tribes need data govern," she said regarding Indigenous data sovereignty concerns addressed during collaborative efforts at this newly established facility targeting holistic solutions amidst escalating global warming trends evident throughout recent decades' record-breaking temperature records worldwide

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