RU
2026
Cool Almaty
Almaty, Kazakhstan

Public Foundation "Urban Forum Kazakhstan"
Almaty faces increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves due to climate crisis, while the city's declining green cover and extensive urban sprawl amplify the urban heat-island effect. The burden falls disproportionately on residents of peripheral districts, outdoor workers, women, older people, and people with disabilities. Current planning and maintenance practices insufficiently prioritize climate adaptation and equitable access to shade, cooling, and quality green space.
Overall objective:
Draw public attention to the issues of climate justice amid the increasingly acute problems of urban heat and the gap in development between central and remote districts of the city. Through research, citizen engagement, and policy dialogue, this project aims to foster a socially just and climate-resilient city.

The aims of the project:

  • Map and analyze neighborhood‑level heat exposure and vulnerability, integrating social dimensions (gender/age, disability access, occupational exposure), including survey of residents.
    1
  • Build public knowledge and debate on climate‑just urban greening through a series of publications in social media and news outlets.
    2
  • Co‑design and prototype feasible interventions (e.g., pocket parks, tiny forests, shaded corridors, raingardens, unsealing of excessive pavement, pollinator gardens, temporary cooling and drinking‑water points).
    3
  • Produce actionable policy recommendations and a resident guide; present findings at a city‑business‑community roundtable.
    4
  • Facilitate one online regional peer session to exchange transferability lessons with 1–2 CSOs from other Central Asian cities.
    5

The main activities of the project are:

  • Urban heat mapping and vulnerability assessment

    satellite imagery analysis, GIS, fieldwork, resident survey (April–August 2026).

  • Two resident urbanism workshops

    co-design sessions and hands-on tactical activities (July–August 2026).

  • Preparation of analytical outputs

    heat-vulnerability map and dataset, methods note, resident guide, policy brief (September 2026).

  • Final policy roundtable "Cool Almaty 2026"

    city-business-community dialogue on recommendations and implementation path (October 2026).

  • Online regional peer exchange session with CSOs from other Central Asian cities, including a short transferability note (October 2026)