Extreme heat affects communities across Arizona in diverse ways, with no two communities experiencing impacts the same way.
The SCORCH team, in collaboration with the Arizona Center for Rural Health, Arizona Department of Health Services, and partners across rural and Tribal Arizona, convened five listening sessions in 2025 to better understand local heat-related challenges, priorities, and promising strategies.
The sessions engaged 90 participants from 64 organizations involved in heat-risk management and response. The findings and recommendations shared below provide a community-centered roadmap for strengthening heat preparedness, reducing health risks, and advancing a “heat in all policies” approach across Arizona.
