Extreme heat is one of the most urgent and rapidly escalating climate and health risks facing countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), according to a new report from the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAF).
The report – Climate Change and Extreme Heat: Strengthening Resilience and Adaptive Capacity in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) – presents the first integrated regional assessment of how rising temperatures are affecting health systems, labour conditions, food security, urban environments, and ecosystems across Southern Africa.
Central to the study is the concept of extreme heat as an “integrator hazard” – a cross-cutting climate risk through which multiple vulnerabilities converge. As temperatures rise, extreme heat intensifies drought, wildfire risk, air pollution, and pressure on water, energy, and health systems – disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations.
Scientific evidence shows that global warming has accelerated sharply over the past 15 years, with 19 of the world’s 20 hottest years occurring since 2000. Record-breaking monthly temperatures now occur five times more frequently.
“Extreme heat is no longer a distant projection; it is already reshaping the lived realities of millions of people across Southern Africa,” says Professor Jerome Amir Singh, chairperson of the Expert Panel that led the study. “This report highlights the urgency of strengthening heat-health preparedness and provides clear, evidence-based pathways for governments and communities to respond.”
In the SADC region, these trends intersect with structural vulnerabilities including high levels of outdoor labour, rapid urbanisation, and strained public-health systems. Extreme heat increases the risk of heat exhaustion, heatstroke, kidney injury, and cardiovascular disease – and contributes to rising emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and heat-related mortality.
Certain groups face particularly acute risks.
Emerging research shows that extreme heat during pregnancy increases the likelihood of stillbirth, pre-term birth, maternal complications, and low birth weight. Infants and young children are highly vulnerable due to their limited thermoregulatory capacity, while older adults face the highest rates of heat-related mortality.
The region’s labour markets further heighten exposure.
Agriculture remains the largest employer in many SADC countries, alongside construction, mining, transport, and informal trading – sectors that rely heavily on outdoor or manual labour. In several Member States, up to 80% to 90% of workers are employed informally, often without adequate workplace protections, cooling infrastructure, or social safety nets.
The report urges proactive steps: bolster early warning systems; embed heat-health action plans into national climate strategies; protect workers from occupational heat exposure; enhance urban design and cooling infrastructure; and expand public-health preparedness.
Developed through a regional consensus process convened by the Academy of Science of South Africa – with members of the writing panel from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, South Africa and Zimbabwe – the study draws on scientific evidence, policy analysis, and expert deliberation to provide practical guidance for policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and communities across SADC member states.