Community leaders, policymakers, and researchers came together Saturday to discuss the urgent need for innovative solutions amidst rising temperatures in one of the nation’s fastest-warming states.

The 2nd annual Heat Summit, held at the University of Arizona’s School of Environment and Natural Resources, was aimed at tackling the growing challenges of extreme heat in Southern Arizona. The event provided a platform for conversations about heat-related deaths, prevention strategies and community-based solutions.

The event highlighted the urgent need for local and state-wide action.

Data from Pima County revealed that heat-related hospital visits were not exclusive to the unhoused. While 77 unhoused people were treated for heat-related illnesses in 2024, the majority — 712 cases — were among the housed, challenging assumptions about who is most vulnerable to extreme heat.

Tucson Mayor Regina Romero addressed the importance of local action in the face of federal uncertainty.

“Those of us here today understand that climate change is already happening, and its impact is felt first and worst by our most vulnerable residents.” Romero said.

She also addressed President Donald Trump’s orders aimed at distmanting environmental protection efforts, including orders for the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, threats to dismantle climate investments from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and directives to expand oil drilling.

These actions “send a clear message of their anti-environmental agenda,” Romero said. “As a result, we face tough challenges and uncertainty. The cost and confusion are real, and now more than ever, we must invest in ourselves and continue this critical work at a local level.”

Romero told attendees that the federal government cannot be relied upon to provide assistance or contribute to efforts already underway. She said the answers will come from local communities, highlighting the resilience of Tucsonans and noting that they have endured extreme heat and adapted to unprecedented events.

She reminded the audience that Tucson’s residents are defined by their ability to adapt and thrive in the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert, surrounded by its beautiful and biologically diverse ecosystem.

Chief Resilience Officer Fatima Luna stressed the importance of Southern Arizona’s involvement in the state’s heat response efforts.

“It’s a good day to be here,” Luna said. “If Southern Arizona wasn’t at the table, then our unique challenges, solutions, and lived experiences wouldn’t be reflected in the state’s extreme heat planning, so we knew we had to change that.”

That need prompted employees with the City of Tucson, Pima County Health Department, and University of Arizona to launch the first-ever Southern Arizona Heat Summit last year.

The summit was more than just an event, but also a catalyst for action, Luna said.

Revelations from the summit were shared with Gov. Katie Hobbs and the city utilized that input to develop its Heat Action Roadmap.

Additionally, the Pima County Health Department created a heat preparedness strategy.

Luna called the event a big success, saying the most common feedback was a request for the summit to be held more than once a year. 

She also pointed to  progress that had been made since last year’s inaugural summit.

“Not only are Southern Arizona voices in this room today, but we also have Arizona’s first-ever State Heat Officer with us,” she said. “The work we are doing here matters more than what's just beyond this room. None of this would have been possible without the incredible team; here are so many hands and minds that make this event possible. This is what collective action looks like.”

Tomás Díaz de la Rubia, senior vice president of research and innovation at the University of Arizona, underscored the urgency of addressing extreme heat.

“2023 was the hottest year on record. (Now) 2024 is the hottest year on record,” Díaz de la Rubia said. “We see what is happening all over the world: the growth in frequency and severity of extreme weather events — heat, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, frost. The university is committed to this cause.”

Rubia highlighted the increasing heat challenges in Arizona, pointing out that Phoenix experienced more than 100 days of temperatures over 100 degrees in 2024.

“We saw over 5,912 heat-related illnesses reported across the state during this past heat season, compared to about 4,300 in 2023,” said the Department of Health Services’ Eugene Livar, Arizona’s first chief heat officer. “While many assume visitors are disproportionately impacted by extreme heat, our data shows that long-term residents are also highly susceptible.”

Pima County Health Director Dr. Theresa Cullen reinforced the need for a community-driven response to heat-related health risks.

“This is a very unclear time for public health, and many of my staff are feeling really uncertain,” Cullen said. “What I’m not uncertain about is you, is the community, is what we did last summer in terms of a heat response.”

Cullen also discussed how the community can mitigate heat-related injury risks, emphasizing the importance of messaging campaigns, outreach to adults over 65, educating on medication risks, extending cooling center hours, continuing free bus transportation, and strengthening partnerships.

She said heat is an equity issue and stressed the need for long-term urban cooling solutions through capital improvement projects, quality housing, and affordable electric cooling options.

“The number of people that died last year in Pima County from heat was less than the year before — that’s a tribute to everything you’ve done,” she continued. “At the end of the day, the denominator is the end of one — a loved one, a person you see on the street, it’s the person that you care about, it’s the person crossing the border.”

Angelina Maynes is a University of Arizona alum and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact her at angelinamaynes@arizona.edu.

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