Targeted, integrated, and prepared policy packages to address the urban heat in Korea

This policy brief examines the responses of the Republic of Korea to urban heat problems at national and city levels. Korea formally recognized heat as a natural disaster in 2018, which represented a significant milestone in institutionalizing urban heat interventions across various ministries and agencies. Guided by national frameworks, Korean cities—including Busan and Daegu, the two cities presented as cases in this brief—developed and implemented a package of complementary actions, consisting of legislation and planning, small-scale capital investments, and social programs.

The review and the Korean case studies described here reveal untapped potential for the World Bank and its clients to integrate the urban heat agenda further into the Bank’s urban investment portfolio. The Korean experience clearly shows the importance of adequate response and monitoring systems in the successful implementation of heat action at different scales. Furthermore, the review and case studies illustrate how protecting the most vulnerable groups from the harmful impacts of extreme heat can generate important and rapid health benefits.