Located along Israel’s central Mediterranean coastline, the city of Herzliya features flat terrain, coastal districts, and dense urban development. However, average temperatures in the region have risen by approximately 1.5°C since 1950, nearly double the global average, placing local infrastructure and residents under growing stress, with risks that include:
- Severe health risks during extreme heatwaves, particularly for vulnerable populations such as young children, elderly residents, and individuals without access to reliable cooling.
- Potential energy grid vulnerabilities, where sustained peak demand during prolonged heat events threatens power stability and essential services.
- Operational coordination challenges across city departments, where fragmented administrative roles slow down emergency responses and preventive action during heat extremes.
Mayor-Led Commitments & Cross-Departmental Governance
To address these heat risks, Herzliya joined Aclima’s Climate Ambitious Municipalities Program, a structured framework engaging ten Israeli mayors and their professional teams to accelerate local climate action.
Under this initiative, the Mayor of Herzliya committed to establishing 20 green-powered Resilience Centres across the city within four years. The program relies on a structured, multi-step approach led directly by municipal leadership and supported by cross-departmental teams, ensuring alignment between city planning and community needs.
Practical Action, Role Clarity, and Replicable Frameworks
The initiative equips municipal staff and local communities with structured, operational tools to build long-term social and thermal resilience:
- Green-Powered Resilience Infrastructure: Mapping suitable public buildings, such as local libraries and schools, and retrofitting them with solar panels and battery storage systems to guarantee uninterrupted power and cooling during heat events.
- Scenario-Based “Climate Neighbourhood” Workshops: Conducting specialized training scenarios (such as tracing a young child’s route home during a heatwave) to clarify municipal staff roles, identify shading opportunities, and link heat risks directly to nearby Resilience Centres.
- Resilience Centre Operations Protocol: Developing a standardized protocol with Aclima to ensure city personnel maintain operational readiness and manage centres efficiently during climate emergencies.
- Scalable Process Model for Municipalities: Establishing a management framework and process model that can be tailored and implemented by other municipalities nationally and globally.