Extreme Heat: The Deadliest Climate Hazard Is Also the Most Invisible with Dr. Ladd Keith

In episode 257 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons speaks with Dr. Ladd Keith, associate professor of planning at the University of Arizona and one of the world's leading experts on extreme heat adaptation. As Europe endures another deadly heat wave, Doug and Ladd explore why heat remains the deadliest—and one of the most overlooked—climate hazards. They discuss Arizona's progress in reducing heat-related deaths, lessons from Europe and India, the growing challenges facing rural communities, and how cuts to federal funding threaten adaptation efforts just as they are beginning to scale. The conversation also examines why communities must stop planning for today's climate and prepare for a hotter future, how urban planning can address multiple climate risks at once, and why building public awareness is essential if climate adaptation is going to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.

Transcript of this episode.

Go Deeper: We turned this conversation into a concise Policy Brief that captures the episode's key insights, practical recommendations, and implications for adaptation policy. Download it here.

New! Download the companion Meeting-in-a-Box—a ready-to-use facilitation guide that distills the episode's key insights into a one-hour discussion designed to help your team turn ideas into action.

Links in this episode:

https://www.laddkeith.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laddkeith/

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/laddkeith.com

U of A Heat Resilience Initiative https://heat.arizona.edu

Center for Heat Resilient Communities publication - Building Heat Resilient Communities: A Toolkit for Local Planning, Decision-Making, & Action https://innovation.luskin.ucla.edu/publication/building-heat-resilient-communities/

Planning for Rural Heat Resilience https://www.planning.org/publications/document/9331842/

Heat Related Episode from the America Adapts Archive