Everyday adaptation to summer heatwaves: A global perspective

Heatwaves pose a growing global threat, yet little is known about how people adapt their daily activities to cope with extreme heat—an obstacle to effective policy design. This study characterizes heatwave adaptation internationally, combining ERA5 climate re-analysis, cell phone mobility, socio-economic, and physical-geographical data across Brazil, France, India, Nigeria, Turkey, the USA, and China during 2022/2023 summer heatwaves. Google Community Mobility Reports data is used in multi-level modelling for the first six countries to examine daily activity changes during heatwaves (home, work, transit, grocery/pharmacy, retail/recreation, parks). In China, Baidu data on intra-city activity levels is analyzed in a complementary multi-level model. The results show a widespread tendency to withdraw into homes but also highlight unequal substitutions of activities, and – under some circumstances – visits to potentially cooler locations away from home. This study highlights the global nature of heatwave adaptation and the value of considering adaptation alongside people’s everyday lives.