Pathways to Climate Justice in a Desert Metropolis

Future societies face many uncertainties in a rapidly warming and urbanizing world. One of the most critical challenges is how cities will adapt to new local temperature regimes. This chapter examines the climate hazard of extreme heat, the human health risks of high temperatures for vulnerable populations, and two complementary potential pathways for societal adaptations to climate change in Phoenix, Arizona. The challenge for the public health pathway is to protect groups that are vulnerable to heat because they either are physiologically susceptible or experience acute heat exposure. Pro-poor pathways are needed for populations that are vulnerable to climate change primarily because they live in low-income neighborhoods that are chronically exposed to the highest temperatures and lack access to economic and social resources, ecological benefits, and technological means to cope with heat. This chapter examines differences between the two pathways, using climate justice as a guiding principle for future recommendations.