Heatwave climate shelter initiatives

In early July, Greenpeace reported limited climate shelters in Spain. By late July, Mexican legislators in Chiapas proposed free climate shelters and the town of Alfàs del Pi in Spain issued heat‑wave health advice. On 21 July, the Chiapas proposal was reiterated, seeking to amend the state climate‑adaptation law so shelters are built in the most heat‑affected rural communities where homes lack air‑conditioning and hospitals are distant, while Alfàs del Pi again warned residents to stay hydrated, avoid alcohol and caffeine, wear light clothing, limit activity between noon and 5 p.m., and use cooled or ventilated spaces.

The following week, on 28 July, Spain expanded its national Red de Refugios Climáticos, opening new shelters in Vigo and Malaga. In Vigo, facilities operate in the foreign‑ers office waiting room and the Institute Social de la Marina, providing free access and reduced‑mobility accommodations but only during office hours (9:00‑14:00 and 11:00‑14:00) and requiring metal‑detector checks; they lack drinking‑water dispensers. Malaga added four sites—including the Sub‑delegation, a meteorological centre and a youth centre—also free but similarly limited in amenities. These developments show an expanding, though still imperfect, network of public‑health spaces aimed at protecting vulnerable populations during extreme heat events in Spain and Mexico.