by Manoj Bhatta, Gloria Baliva, Supriya Mathew, The Conversation
In remote Australia, First Nations communities battle extreme heat each summer. In January 2026 alone, the town of Alice Springs (Mparntwe) endured 20 days of temperatures above 40°C (104°F). This prolonged heat wave—defined as a period of unusually hot weather—can have long-lasting effects on human health, infrastructure and the environment.
In remote communities, many homes trap heat. This is because houses are not typically designed for local climate conditions. Frequent power shortages and a lack of repair services leave these communities even more exposed.
In our new study, we spoke with 30 First Nations people about how extended periods of extreme heat affect them. We did this by holding one-on-one yarning sessions in four remote Central Australian communities.
The participants shared many valuable insights, which may also help our larger towns and cities adapt to rising temperatures.
Climate change is making extreme heat more frequent and intense across the country. Since records began in 1910, Australia has warmed by about 1.5°C.
The First Nations community members involved in our study told us extreme heat affected nearly every aspect of daily life in the warmer months.
Participants commonly experienced symptoms of extreme heat exposure, such as headaches, dehydration, exhaustion, poor sleep and feeling agitated.
Participants also said it was difficult to spend time outdoors, visit family or access essential services if their only option was to walk.
In the summer, can't go out anywhere or go, visit families, it's too hot.
Participants were particularly concerned about how older people, children, pregnant women and people who were already unwell coped in such hot conditions.
Importantly, participants emphasized the need for improved infrastructure to beat the heat. A lack of reliable power, effective cooling systems and homes designed for extreme heat reduced their ability to keep cool. This also made it harder to safely store food and medicines.
Despite these challenges, remote First Nations communities are already coping with extreme heat in three main ways.
If it's northeast in the sky, that means it's going to be a long hot summer. But if it's northwest it's going to be not so hot, it's going to be cooler.
However, there are limits to how much remote communities should have to adapt on their own.
Many extreme heat adaptation strategies require reliable access to housing, electricity, shade, water and transport. Without these, staying safe during extreme heat becomes much harder.
However, research shows First Nations communities have long lived with poorer housing, infrastructure and health care because of the effects of colonialism and other discriminatory policies. And climate change is only exacerbating these deep-rooted inequalities.
The First Nations communities we visited stressed the need for more investment in locally designed housing, shaded community spaces and timely repair services. "While it's cold weather, they should be servicing every air conditioner, in every community, before the summer come up and everybody's ready to go."
Community members also called for improved public transport, especially for those needing to travel into town for health appointments.
The participants also highlighted the need to educate communities about how heat affects health. Key to this is providing information in local languages to help people recognize symptoms of heat-related illness—such as dizziness, headaches, dehydration and heat exhaustion—and learn strategies to keep cool.
Participants also emphasized the importance of involving the community in designing and delivering adaptation strategies. This ensures any solutions meet each community's needs, drawing on its local knowledge and cultural practices.
As the climate changes, temperatures in our towns and cities will only keep rising. However, remote First Nations communities are already finding innovative ways to cope with extreme heat. If we listen to and learn from them, we may discover more effective ways to beat the heat.
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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Originally reported by Phys.org.