Abstract
Background
Heat-related health risks are distributed unequally among populations due to variations in exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. As these determinants span physical, medical and social domains, cross-domain collaboration is essential for effective heat adaptation. This study applies an environmental justice lens (procedural, recognitional and distributive justice) to analyse barriers and facilitators in collaboration between professionals.
Methods
29 semi-structured interviews and 3 validation sessions were conducted with policymakers and client-oriented professionals from physical, medical and social domains in Utrecht and Rotterdam.
Results
Procedural justice is challenged by a persistent gap between policy and practice, despite the inherently context-specific nature of heat adaptation. Neighbourhood advisors and key figures possess meaningful contextual knowledge, can fulfil a bridging role in stakeholder engagement and signalling heat stress. From a recognitional justice perspective, differences in perceived urgency regarding heat stress hinder timely identification and response. At-risk groups may not always recognise themselves as such, while medical and social professions often act reactively in response to client requests. Regarding distributive justice, the current task-oriented approach focuses on the largest challenge with the greatest benefit, based on quantifiable indicators (e.g. heat maps). As a result, cumulative heat-related health risks are overlooked despite potential leads in existing cross-domain policies on aging or summer loneliness.
Conclusions
Applying an environmental justice lens, facilitates reflection on the current task-oriented approach and the persistent gap between policy and practice. Key facilitators include the involvement of professionals with context-specific expertise and the strategic integration of heat adaptation into broader cross-domain policy agendas.
Key messages
• Applying an environmental justice lens shows why heat adaptation overlooks risk groups and emphasises the need to better connect policy and practice.
• Fairer heat adaptation starts with local knowledge: context-specific professionals and alignment with existing social policies can move beyond task-driven approaches.