Assessing the burdens of urban heat : a description of functional, economic and public health impacts of increasing heat in cities

Abstract

Urban Heat Islands (UHI), together with increasingly frequent heatwaves due to climate change, impose functional, economic and public health burdens for cities, urban dwellers and local administrations. This paper aims to examine how excess heat disturbs urban functioning and hence, contribute to the discussion on the urgent need to strengthen climate change adaptation and foster climate governance. It first describes two different but synergistic sources of heat: urban heat islands and heatwaves. It then outlines the human mechanism of temperature regulation and presents public health impacts in terms of heat-related morbidity and mortality. The paper continues by mentioning the economic burdens as well as infrastructure malfunction associated with this threat. It concludes with a call-to-action for decision-makers on the urgent need to address urban heat.