Construction and Application of Urban Heat Vulnerability Early Warning System

Abstract

Extreme heat events caused by climate change have seriously threatened the sustainable human-environment system development. It has become the frontier of integrated geography to scientifically assess the comprehensive impact of heat waves on the urban system and to provide stakeholders with decision support services to cope with extreme heat. This study constructed an "exposure-susceptibility-adaptive capacity" framework for urban heat vulnerability and an early warning index system based on the perspective of the human-environment system. We then proposed key early warning technologies, including an urban heat index model, multi-subject adaptive capacity coupling technology, and a multi-group vulnerability assessment criteria library. Taking urban diversified groups and urban administrators as the service target, we designed the urban heat vulnerability early warning system. The system mainly comprises a mobile application that provides users with an interactive interface, and a dedicated management backend. The mobile application has four main functions: Urban heat index forecast, Crowd heat vulnerability risk warning service, Outdoor work guidance service, and Public facility-assisted adaptation and decision support menu. The layer data and the warning message are mainly handled by the dedicated management backend. The system provides hourly location-based heat vulnerability warnings and targeted healthy living tips for tourists, the elderly, children, and people with heat-sensitive conditions. Additionally, the system can provide a scientific basis for communities to improve their adaptive capacity to heat waves. As a pilot, the system was deployed in Xiamen City to provide personalized support services for healthy living in hot weather to residents and communities. In September 2021, the "Urban Heat Index" module was officially launched on the "Zhi Tian Qi" public meteorological service platform of the Fujian Province. The research perspective and methodology, based on a multiscale vulnerability framework, provide an effective method to dynamically and finely characterize the impacts of extreme natural hazards. The research results support urban multi-stakeholders in managing production and life during hot weather and help authorities develop targeted disaster prevention and mitigation plans for specific areas. Moreover, the findings provide a scientific reference for planning departments to improve and optimize the spatial allocation of emergency resources.

Keywords

• climate change
• human-environment system
• heat vulnerability
• early warning system
• xiamen city