The social, technological, economic, and political roles of information and communication technologies in extreme heat adaptation in urban Southeast Asia Johanne Rei R. Castro, Laurence L. Delina * Division of Environment and Sustainability, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong A R T I C L E INFO Keywords: Extreme heat adaptation Information and communication technologies (ICTs) Urban Asia Risk perception Disaster risk management ABSTRACT Enhancing adaptation measures for extreme heat, especially in developing regions and tropical climates, is essential as climate change accelerates. In this context, information and communi- cation technologies (ICTs) play key roles in these adaptation strategies. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of ICTs’ role in facilitating extreme heat adaptation specifically in urban Southeast Asia. The analysis is based on 25 semi-structured expert interviews and utilises the social, technological, economic, and political (STEP) framework. Our analysis identifies several factors that drive the deployment of ICTs for adaptation, and it illustrates the ways in which ICTs integrate extreme heat adaptation with risk management initiatives. These initiatives include heat warning dissemination, raising awareness, and optimising energy consumption. Furthermore, we examine the external STEP factors that either facilitate or hinder these processes. In addition, we discuss strategies for leveraging ICTs to enhance responses to extreme heat adaptation effectively. 1. Introduction Information and communication technologies (ICTs), which include communication devices and their related software applications and platforms (Huth et al., 2017), are crucial for adapting to extreme heat and mitigating associated risks. Their importance is increasingly evident in today’s digital society, particularly in the implementation of early warning systems (EWS) and public outreach initiatives (Onunka et al., 2023), as well as in efforts to reduce emissions (Zhou et al., 2019). Effective heat-related EWS necessitate grassroots participation, technological advancements, socio-cultural considerations, and investments in policies and infrastructure (Brimicombe et al., 2024). In the construction sector, ICTs improve the efficiency of data collection concerning work-related heat stress, which is essential for establishing early warning thresholds (Yi et al., 2016). Moreover, ICTs are vital for disseminating in- formation regarding extreme heat risks, which is necessary for individual adaptation (Wakili et al., 2020; Zander et al., 2019). The importance of adapting to extreme heat is evident, yet knowledge about ICT use in developing urban areas is still limited. Most current heat-related studies focus on wealthy regions, including Australia, Europe, and the United States (Macagba and Delina, 2024; Navas-Martín et al., 2023; Turek-Hankins et al., 2021). This research imbalance likely arises from the technological constraints that developing nations face, which are rooted in their socioeconomic challenges (Macagba and Delina, 2024). Therefore, it is crucial to conduct further investigations to understand the physical, social, and behavioural effects of extreme heat since such understanding is vital for creating effective heat adaptation strategies and mitigating associated risks (Coffel et al., 2018; Degirmenci et al., 2021; Hintz * Corresponding author. E-mail address: lld@ust.hk (L.L. Delina). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Urban Climate journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/uclim https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2025.102556 Received 18 March 2025; Received in revised form 8 May 2025; Accepted 28 July 2025 Urban Climate 62 (2025) 102556 2212-0955/© 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.