Investigating Social Vulnerability to Extreme Heat
Heat Islands and Climate Shelters in Urban Contexts: The Case of Bologna
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22034719 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Elisa Maccabiani (Fondazione Bruno Kessler), Munazza Usmani (0000-0002-6469-1619, Fondazione Bruno Kessler), Riccardo Nanni (0000-0002-2773-4093, Fondazione Bruno Kessler), Maurizio Napolitano (0000-0002-7064-8334, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 17 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2220-9964 • E-ISSN: 2220-9964 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/ijgi14010017 |
| OpenAlex | W4406034642 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 29 |
In this article we present three instruments: (1) a social vulnerability to extreme heat index to identify the areas of a city (and populations thereof) more vulnerable to extreme heat due to climate change (heat islands); (2) a new overall fragility index that incorporates social vulnerability to extreme heat as well as socioeconomic indicators; and (3) a climate shelter index (CSI) to identify areas within a city that can provide relief from extreme heat based on green and blue solutions. We elaborated these three indexes to measure social vulnerability to extreme heat in the municipality of Bologna, which serves as this article’s case study. By analyzing the connections between social vulnerability to extreme heat and several socio-demographic variables in Bologna, we found that a decrease in income is significantly correlated with an increase in social vulnerability to extreme heat in urban contexts. A comparison between our new overall fragility index and the existing index adopted by the municipality of Bologna (Indice di fragilità, Comune di Bologna) showed that about 75% of the statistical areas observed are worse off when social vulnerability to extreme heat is also considered. Considering social vulnerability to extreme heat shows vulnerabilities in a city (here: Bologna) that the pre-existing index did not consider. These findings and our new indexes can support the Bologna administration (and other local administrations) in addressing the consequences of climate change for their most vulnerable residents
Climate change · Climatology · Computer security · Extreme Cold · Extreme heat · Extreme weather · Fragility · Geography · Meteorology · Population · Psychological resilience · Social vulnerability · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Urban heat island · Vulnerability index · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Demography · Psychology · Urban Green Space and Health · Urban Heat Island Mitigation · Ecology
Sustainable development goals for people and planet
A review of the global climate change impacts, adaptation, and sustainable mitigation measures
A review on the generation, determination and mitigation of Urban Heat Island
Seeking refuge? The potential of urban climate shelters to address intersecting vulnerabilities
Landscapes of thermal inequity
Assessing Vulnerability to Urban Heat
The Impact of Greenspace, Walking, and Cycling on the Health of Urban Residents during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Urban heat island mitigation strategies
Climate change prediction
Nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban areas
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |