In response to the devastating heat wave that killed at least 2,500 people across India in 2015, the government is launching a programme designed to protect people from extreme heat in two high-risk regions. In preparation for the onset of summer, the cities involved in the programme will have spent months educating children about heat risk, stocking hospitals with ice packs and extra water, and training medical workers to identify heat stress, dehydration and heat stroke. These plans, which are geared towards reducing health risks incrementally, present a unique opportunity to achieve policy integration. For instance, the so-called urban heat island3 effect, a major source of aggressive heat injurious to human health, can be reduced by creating more green spaces or utilizing different materials in construction4 (Silva, Phelan and Golden, 2010), which could contribute to building climate resilience and more sustainable cities.