Table 1.

Suggested solutions through a division of measures and the societal levels responsible

Measures/level	Climate-sensitive building and urban planning	Alternative cooling technologies	Climate-sensitive attitudes, behaviour, legislation, and education
Individual	Double façade, cross ventilation, orientation of buildings, reflecting surface materials, shading devices, and roof and walls insulation. Green roofs, green walls and shading trees.	Low-tech solutions including fans, self-invented cooling systems using water, ice and fans, desert coolers (a simple mechanical ventilation system based on evaporative cooling), shade structures. High-tech solutions including solar panel-driven AC, absorption chillers, small-scale electricity production (photovoltaic).	Awareness of the impact of heat and how to adapt to it by moving inside the house, climate smart clothing and food, footbath, work/rest regimes, wet towels, frequent showers, pouring of water on roof and floor.
Community	Common indoor and outdoor spaces to be used collectively on hot days. Shade structures.	Local electricity production (windmills, photovoltaic parks). District cooling.	Help to the most vulnerable. Capacity building and risk management on district level.
City	Building orientation adjusted to solar radiation and main wind directions. Protection of existing vegetation, rivers, and lakes. Establishment of new green areas and shade structures.	Municipal infrastructure for renewable energy (windmills, photovoltaic parks). District cooling systems and innovative cooling technologies such as solar panel-driven AC and absorption chillers.	Local laws and regulations for climate-sensitive design. Capacity building for professionals and citizens. Risk assessment initiatives.
National	Developing urban planning regulations to include climate-sensitive design and planning.	National infrastructure for renewable energy supply (large-, medium-, small-scale electricity production).	Capacity building on national level. Subsidies for climate smart solutions. Local laws and regulations for climate-sensitive design. Systems for risk management.