Managing Heat Health Risks: the case of Western Cape, South Africa

What is it about?

s extreme heat events become more frequent and severe, the insights from this study are timely and policy-relevant, supporting efforts to transform national guidance into meaningful local action. The study explores the "implementation gap” in managing heat-related health risks in South Africa’s Western Cape province. Despite the existence of the National Heat Health Action Guidelines (2020), local action remains fragmented due to limited awareness of the guidelines, unclear departmental roles, and weak cross-sector collaboration. By applying the Multiple Governance Framework, the study reveals how systemic, organizational, and individual-level barriers shape the uneven translation of national policy into local practice.

Featured Image

Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The implications of this work extend across governance levels and beyond South Africa. For policymakers, it highlights the importance of decentralization and flexibility, ensuring that national policies enable provinces and municipalities to adapt measures to local realities, allocate appropriate resources, and establish clear monitoring systems. For health practitioners and local authorities, the study demonstrates the value of cross-departmental partnerships and targeted community engagement to strengthen preparedness and response. For the public, it raises awareness of heat as an underrecognized but growing health threat. This research provides one of the first in-depth assessments of heat-health governance in South Africa, shedding light on challenges that are likely shared by other low- and middle-income countries facing rising heat risks. It also offers valuable insights into the implementation challenges encountered by countries that have already developed heat-health action plans but struggle to translate them into effective local action.