What's it like being a chief heat officer?

From The Climate Question by BBC World Service

March 29, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode explores the role of Chief Heat Officers in cities facing extreme temperatures due to climate change.

As climate change makes the world hotter, some cities have appointed so-called Chief Heat Officers to try to improve their response to record-breaking temperatures. In 2024, Graihagh Jackson spoke to two women who have done the job in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and Monterrey, Mexico. What does their role involve? What solutions are out there? And do they get enough funding? Plus, Umaru Fofana reports from Freetown on what happens when extreme heat grips the city. Umaru talks to locals forced to sleep outside because of the temperature, despite risks to their health and safety. And he also investigates a new piece of building design that might help people living in informal settlements. Got a question or comment? email us at theclimatequestion@bbc.com Presenter: Graihagh Jackson Producer: Osman Iqbal Sound engineer: James Beard and Tom Brignell Editor: Simon Watts

People in this episode

Host: Graihagh Jackson

Guest: Umaru Fofana

Topics covered

climate change
urban planning
heat management
public health
city governance

Keywords

Chief Heat Officer
climate change
Freetown
Monterrey
urban heat
public health
building design

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Freetown, Sierra Leone, Monterrey, Mexico