A 16-year-old Brazilian student developed a key tool to identify critical urban heat zones and take action.
This is EcoAção Brasil, a tool based on artificial intelligence that identifies key urban heat hotspots and guides interventions to transform the climatic future of cities.
Its creator is Isaque Carvalho Borges, a student at the Federal Institute of Tocantins who was inspired by the high temperatures in his hometown, Palmas, in Brazil.
The project earned him the Earth Prize 2025 in the Central and South America category, with a prize of $12,500.
The problem of urban heat in Palmas
Carvalho Borges created this innovation after experiencing the high temperatures in his hometown, Palmas, in the state of Tocantins, in northern Brazil.
It was founded in 1989 thanks to urban planners’ design, however, according to Borges, “some important details were not considered.”
And he clarifies: “One of these points has to do with urban heat.”
Today, the lack of vegetation and the extensive use of heat-retaining materials have created areas where the temperature exceeds the surroundings by up to 11°C.
This phenomenon, known as micro urban heat islands, especially affects the most vulnerable groups, causing respiratory diseases, heat strokes, and deaths.
How EcoAção Brasil works, the tool against urban heat
The tool uses open-access satellite data to analyze essential environmental variables such as:
- the surface temperature of the ground;
- the vegetation index;
- the built-up areas index; among others.
The system integrates artificial intelligence to evaluate the interaction of these variables and the development of urban micro heat islands over time.
“When we combine all that, we get strategic points for intervention,” Borges detailed to Smithsonian Magazine.
The model highlights the priority urban heat zones for interventions such as:
- reforestation;
- green roofs;
- improvement of construction materials;
- ventilation corridors;
- street redesign;
- public parks;
- permeable pavements.
The team of 10 volunteers plans to publish their first scientific article this month, where they will present the Tocantins Index.
This metric will allow measuring and comparing urban thermal anomalies, facilitating evidence-based planning.
The social and educational impact of Borges’ project
The project promotes youth engagement and social awareness around climate change.
Through the integration of artificial intelligence and citizen science, it encourages active participation of students and communities in the process of collecting and analyzing environmental data.
In this regard, Borges emphasized the importance of free access to technology for schools and organizations in Palmas.
“For the government of Palmas, Tocantins specifically, it will be completely free for institutions here, because that was our original goal,” he assured.
The team’s goal is to have a functional prototype by December 2025 and launch a visual platform with maps and metrics in 2026.
Borges conceives EcoAção Brasil as a scientific contribution designed for people and the planet, with an eye on future generations.
The Earth Prize is considered the largest global environmental sustainability competition for students aged 13 to 19, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
This award also recognized young inventors of water purification solutions this year.
