This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of climate change. Heat waves are a prime example, as they have direct effects on health, thermal comfort and the livability of cities.
That is why it is vital to conduct climate risk assessments to guide cities' adaptation policies and prioritize action in the most vulnerable areas. The SAREN (Sustainable And Resilient built ENvironment) research group at the University of the Basque Country (EHU), led by Leire Garmendia, is assessing the effectiveness of adaptation solutions that can be used to minimize the impact of heat waves on buildings and outdoor spaces in cities. The research is being carried out as part of the OLADAPT project, in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the University of Extremadura and the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Development and Environmental Education at the EHU, in line with the guidelines of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The paper is published in the journal Cities. "We are looking at how to conduct a multidimensional and multiscale assessment of the risk posed by heat waves in urban areas. The risk posed by heat waves is not measured solely by temperature; it has multiple dimensions," explains the group's researcher, Irantzu Álvarez.
Implementing more appropriate policies involves taking into account, first, how the city is built (both buildings and public spaces); second, the areas of the city hardest hit by high temperatures; and finally, the number of people affected by this situation and the degree of vulnerability or lack of protection of the people living there. "In this study, we have measured the vulnerability of each building and open space in Bilbao, Madrid and Cáceres (all three located in different climate zones)," adds researcher Laura Quesada. The methodology developed by the EHU's SAREN research group makes it possible to produce urban vulnerability maps that clearly show where priority action should be taken to tackle heat waves: "Adaptation measures can be implemented much more effectively with this type of study," they say.
Furthermore, applying the methodology in these three cities has shown that "the methodology is fully replicable; it can be used anywhere. This makes the methodology more robust. It is a genuinely useful tool for municipalities and cities." In all three cities, the study highlighted "the importance of socioeconomic variables when measuring vulnerability.
People with low incomes, older people, etc. are far more vulnerable," the research group states. "Vulnerability is not the same throughout a city. It is therefore not enough to say that one city is more vulnerable than another, because there are different hot spots within the city.
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