Rethinking urban heat stress: Assessing risk and adaptation options across socioeconomic groups in Bonn, Germany

Sandholz, Simone, Sett, Dominic, Greco, Angelica, Wannewitz, Mia and Garschagen, Matthias, (2021). Rethinking urban heat stress: Assessing risk and adaptation options across socioeconomic groups in Bonn, Germany. Urban Climate, 37 1-19

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  • Sub-type Journal article
    Author Sandholz, Simone
    Sett, Dominic
    Greco, Angelica
    Wannewitz, Mia
    Garschagen, Matthias
    Title Rethinking urban heat stress: Assessing risk and adaptation options across socioeconomic groups in Bonn, Germany
    Appearing in Urban Climate
    Volume 37
    Publication Date 2021-05-09
    Place of Publication Amsterdam
    Publisher Elsevier B.V.
    Start page 1
    End page 19
    Language eng
    Abstract With climate change and socioeconomic trends expected to exacerbate the risk of urban heat stress, implementing adaptation measures is paramount to limit adverse impacts of heat on urban inhabitants. Identification of the best options needs to be based on sound, localised assessments of risk, understood as the interaction of hazard, exposure and vulnerability. Yet a review of the literature reveals that minimal research to date considers the perceived impacts of heat among urban residents. Based on a household survey in Bonn, Germany, this paper adopts an integrated approach to assess how different socioeconomic groups are affected by heat stress and explores the connections between perceived impacts of heat and indicators of exposure and vulnerability across groups. Results indicate that all socioeconomic groups are at risk of urban heat stress, though to differing extents and for different reasons. Exposure was found to be lowest in groups typically considered to be of higher risk, such as older respondents, who at the same time have the highest susceptibility. Students and other younger respondents, on the other hand, face comparably high exposure and have the lowest coping and adaptive capacities. At the same time, each group has its own capacities with the potential to mitigate risk. The study shows that urban inhabitants beyond “classic risk groups” usually addressed in literature and policy are affected by heat stress in ways that may not be accounted for in current urban policy.
    UNBIS Thesaurus RISK ASSESSMENT
    GERMANY
    Keyword Urban heat
    Vulnerability
    Exposure
    Socioeconomic groups
    Climate change adaptation
    Copyright Holder The Authors
    Copyright Year 2021
    Copyright type Creative commons
    DOI 10.1016/j.uclim.2021.100857
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    Created: Fri, 14 May 2021, 22:12:21 JST by Aarti Basnyat on behalf of UNU EHS