Killapanage Don Parakum Shantha, mayor of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia municipality in Sri Lanka, is tackling urban heat with practical, low-budget solutions. His strategy includes encouraging residents to plant on vacant lands, protecting coastal mangroves and introducing new planning regulations that require new developments to preserve green spaces. The mayor also addressed how high-rise buildings along the beach have blocked sea breezes, trapping heat in the city, and explained how new zoning rules aim to restore airflow and cool the city.