In this episode of the Urban Exchange Podcast, hosts Lauren Sorkin and Paul Wilson explore extreme heat in cities worldwide. Joined by Dr. Dileep Mavalankar, former Director of the Indian Institute of Public Health, and Nick Jones, Program Lead, Extreme Heat Resilience, at GDFRR and World Bank’s City Resilience Program, they unpack a story of urban resilience that began in Ahmedabad and is transforming heat management globally.
When temperatures in Ahmedabad reached 47 degrees Celsius in 2010, causing 800 excess deaths in a week, local leaders developed a response. Dr. Mavalankar shares how they created India’s first heat action plan, its role in reducing heat-related mortality, and how it inspired over 250 cities across India to follow. Nick Jones from the World Bank reveals the economic and human impacts of urban heat, showing how rising temperatures threaten labor productivity and community health. The podcast also explores strategies like early warning systems, interventions for vulnerable populations, and the role of Chief Heat Officers.
Tune in to learn about practical solutions – from cooling technologies to community preparedness. The conversation goes beyond statistics, offering a human approach to a critical challenge. Whether you’re an urban planner, policymaker, or concerned about climate change, this episode provides insights into how cities can protect residents from extreme heat.
Find out more about the World Bank and GDFRR’s City Resilience Program here.
The Speakers
Dileep Mavalankar
Former Director, Indian Institute of Public Health & Senior Advisor, City Resilience Program
Nicholas Jones
Program Lead
Extreme Heat Resilience
City Resilience Program
Paul Wilson
Advisory Board Chair
SmartCitiesWorld
Lauren Sorkin
Executive Director
Resilient Cities Network
About Dileep Mavalankar
Dr. Dileep Mavalankar is the former director of the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar. He supported the development of the city of Ahmedabad’s heat action plan after a life-threatening heat wave in 2010 and helped municipalities, states and districts across India develop heat action plans of their own. Today, Dr. Mavalankar is a Senior Advisor to the City Resilience Program at the World Bank’s Global Unit for Disaster and Climate Risk Management. Dr. Mavalankar received an MBBS and MD in Preventive and Social Medicine from Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, and an MPH and PhD from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health in the United States.
About Nicholas Jones
Nicholas Jones is Program Lead for Extreme Heat Resilience at the World Bank’s Global Unit for Disaster and Climate Risk Management. He has led or contributed to extreme heat resilience technical assistance engagements across more than 10 countries and is a co-author of the World Bank’s flagship study on urban heat resilience “Unlivable”. He studied at the University of Cambridge and New York University and has been a World Bank staff member since 2010 based in Washington, Brussels, New York and Tokyo.
About Paul Wilson
Paul Wilson is the Chair of the SmartCitiesWorld Advisory Board, and Chief Business Officer for the Connected Places Catapult. Paul has more than 25 years’ international leadership, sales and marketing experience in the B2B Technology Media Telecom sector, including being CMO of global digital transformation association TM Forum and $3bn SunGard Financial Systems.
After running the West of England LEP, Paul set up the multi-award-winning Bristol Is Open smart city project in 2014 and created the widely endorsed City as a Platform Manifesto a couple of years later. He went on to advise the UK Government on the design of its 5G Testbeds & Trials programme, and more recently on how the programme should evolve. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab.
About Lauren Sorkin
Lauren Sorkin is the Executive Director of the Resilient Cities Network where she oversees global efforts to strengthen cities in the face of the complex and interconnected challenges. Leading a team of urban resilience professionals across the globe in collaboration with Chief Resilience Officers in 40 countries, her work builds on the unique capacity, breadth, and legacy of the 100 Resilient Cities Program to enhance the resilience of communities and critical infrastructure. She also serves as an advisor and spokesperson on urban resilience, sustainable finance, climate risk, holistic health and women’s leadership.
