Heatwave: Women, Elderly and Poor Most at Risk

Context

In brief

• It is noted that the heat is not experienced equally by everyone in Geneva
• Survey conducted in the summer of 2025 on over 1000 residents
• Two thirds regularly suffered from the heat at home
• Three out of four people report sleep disturbances

Key facts

• What: Report on summer comfort and inequalities
• When: Summer 2025
• Where: Geneva
• Who: University of Geneva as part of the SWICE project
• Amount: Over 1000 Geneva residents surveyed

As heatwaves multiply, the city of Geneva is discovering that the heat is not experienced equally by everyone. A report entitled 'Le confort estival à Geneva', recently published by the local university as part of the SWICE project (individual and collective sustainable well-being in the energy transition), reveals that the ability to cope with high temperatures is strongly influenced by citizens' social and housing profiles. The survey, conducted in the summer of 2025 on over 1000 Geneva residents, analyzed the effects of heat on daily life and the strategies implemented to cope with it, reports the Tribune de Geneva. The results are clear: the consequences of heatwaves depend not only on the weather, but also on factors such as income, type of housing, state of health, gender, and neighborhood of residence. Nearly two thirds of those surveyed stated that they regularly suffered from the heat in their homes during the summers of 2024 and 2025. Sleep disturbances are the most widespread problem, affecting three out of four people, followed by difficulty concentrating, dehydration, and irritability, with a negative impact on general well-being. A significant finding concerns disparity: women and gender minorities, people with modest incomes, tenants, residents in dense urban areas, the elderly, and those with health problems are much more exposed. Vulnerability to heat is the result of a combination of social, economic, and environmental factors that determine adaptive capacity, and these factors tend to accumulate, states Alice Guilbert, a researcher at the Institute of Environmental Sciences at the University of Geneva, in statements reported by the press. Women, in particular, suffer more from the effects of heat due to a heavier domestic and family burden, which limits flexibility in daily organization and the possibility of modifying their activities during heat peaks. This situation highlights how living conditions and daily responsibilities directly influence the health and well-being of specific segments of the population during periods of severe heatwaves. To fully understand the economic and social scope of these dynamics and evaluate one's financial impact or expenses related to the management of one's lifestyle and housing, it can be useful to examine available tools such as the salary calculator to have a clear picture of available resources.

Operational details

# Resource asymmetries and adaptation strategies

The research highlights a deep asymmetry in the resources available to citizens to deal with heat waves. On the one hand, there are those who can count on a well-insulated accommodation, an air-conditioned office, cheap means to install cooling systems or the possibility of temporarily moving to cooler places. On the other hand, those who must survive with fans, wet towels and walking paths designed to stay in the shade, strategies that researchers define as limited and insufficient to guarantee lasting relief. For scholars, these individual approaches are not enough and are not decisive for the entire community. The report calls for structural interventions to reduce the inequalities that emerge during summer periods characterized by high temperatures. The absolute priority identified by the experts is the thermal renovation of buildings, with a particular focus on condominiums occupied by low-income families, but taking care not to trigger increases in rents that could fuel gentrification phenomena. Organizational measures such as greater flexibility in working hours, the use of teleworking and better alignment between school and professional hours are also proposed, along with free access to air-conditioned spaces such as cinemas and shopping centers and the opening of new refreshing places including

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Key points

Future perspectives and interventions for thermal justice

Addressing urban climate vulnerability requires a coordinated effort that goes beyond simply managing the summer weather emergency. Institutions and researchers agree that public policies must be oriented towards a radical transformation of the urban environment and work habits. Among the proposals put forward are urban planning aimed at mitigating the urban heat island effect and the promotion of incentives for energy efficiency interventions that protect the most fragile tenants from excessive rent increases. The aim is to ensure that energy transition and climate adaptation measures do not become a privilege for a few, but a right accessible to all citizens. For those who want to deepen the planning of their expenses related to housing, home management or the overall assessment of their income and expenses in a changing economic context, it is possible to consult dedicated resources such as the calcolatore stipendio for an in-depth analysis of their personal finances.

Source: tio.ch