Biden-Harris Administration invests $4.55 million for community heat resilience

Heatwaves are expected to worsen in a hotter climate. Credit: NOAA

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced $4.55 million in funding for two virtual centers of excellence to support community heat monitoring and resilience as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These funds from the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history, will allow the federal interagency National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) to enhance community science observations and data collection on extreme heat, and provide assistance to communities planning for and evaluating equitable heat resilience projects. The centers will work alongside community members and community-based organizations to advance place-based heat information and decision-making, so they can reduce heat-related illness and death, harmful infrastructure impacts and other heat risks. 

“The impacts of extreme heat caused by climate change are an increasing threat to our health, ecosystems and economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to President Biden’s ambitious climate agenda, this investment will support new NIHHIS Centers of Excellence to help protect historically excluded communities from the dangers of extreme heat, boost climate resilience and increase awareness on best practices to tackle the climate crisis.”