🚨 Extreme Scenario Planning & Simulation Exercises
Cities are running exercises that simulate extreme climate or crisis scenarios, like severe heat waves, to spot weaknesses, test coordination and strengthen preparedness across their systems and stakeholders.
How cities are applying it
• Paris has conducted large-scale “50°C heatwave” simulations involving health services, emergency responders, social agencies and infrastructure operators. These exercises examine how the city would function under extreme heat and reveal weak points in cooling capacity, emergency communication and service continuity. The findings allow teams to refine protocols and operational plans in advance.
• With Exercise Helios, London has run multi-agency simulations to test readiness for cascading climate shocks. These exercises assess how risks compound across systems and help strengthen coordination between departments and external partners.
Together, these models show how scenario-based planning supports more adaptive and reliable operations by helping cities prepare for events that exceed historical experience.
Why it matters
Extreme events are increasing in scale and frequency, which requires cities to plan for conditions outside the norm. Scenario exercises help identify blind spots that normal planning processes miss, strengthen coordination during complex emergencies and support faster, more coherent responses. They provide a safe environment to test decisions before lives and infrastructure are at stake.