Background: Cities in the Global South face intensifying climate risks—such as extreme heat, air pollution, and water scarcity—which disproportionately affect low-income communities. Methods: This study uses a panel data set (2014–2024) covering ten Global South cities and applies a difference-in-differences (DiD) design to estimate the causal impacts of climate adaptation policies—specifically on air quality, heat mitigation, and water security on a multidimensional Urban Well-Being (UWB) index. Results: The panel analysis (2014–2024) shows that cities implementing adaptation measures experienced an average increase of +58.6 points in the UWB index. Conclusions: Climate adaptation can be an effective lever to improve urban well-being, but only if it is designed with equity in mind. Inclusive governance and targeted investment in vulnerable neighbourhoods are essential to ensure just and effective climate resilience.
Irina Di Ruocco (Wed,) studied this question.