Extreme heat is already a reality in Bangkok. The city can already be 2–4°C hotter than surrounding areas and is projected to become the hottest major city in ASEAN by 2050, with consequences for public health, worker productivity and energy demand. Yet turning climate plans into funded projects remains a challenge.

The Bangkok’s Financing Strategy for Tackling Urban Heat Challenges gives the city government a practical way forward. Co-developed with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), it supports the Bangkok Master Plan on Climate Change (2021–2030) and the BMA Urban Heat Management Action Plan (2026). It maps the financing options for urban heat adaptation, from city budgets and grants to concessional and private finance. It also sets out the steps BMA needs to take to make its projects investment-ready, including better data, clearer costing and stronger project preparation.

The strategy, produced by the UNDP Climate Finance Network (CFN) with the support of the UK FCDO Climate Action for a Resilient Asia (CARA) programme, offers lessons for other cities in Asia and the Pacific facing rising urban heat.