Heat Adaptive Capacity

What Causes the Differences Between Residents of Xiamen Island and Other Areas

Bibliographic Data

ID22070751
AuthorsChaowei Wu (0000-0002-9872-8985, Fuzhou University), Wei Shui (0000-0002-0454-6276, Fuzhou University, corresponding author), Haifeng Yang (0000-0003-2795-6902, Nanjing University), Meiqi Ma (Fuzhou University), Sufeng Zhu (0009-0007-9039-1998, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences), Yuanmeng Liu (Fuzhou University), Hui Li (0000-0001-9355-1116, Fuzhou University), Furong Wu, WU Fu-rong (Fuzhou University), Kexin Wu (0000-0002-1759-7822, Fuzhou University), Xiang Sun (0000-0001-7693-1125, Fuzhou University)
Year2022
Volume10
Pages799365-799365
Publication date2022-02-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2022.799365
PMID35265572
OpenAlexW4213386004
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited56

Extreme heat events caused by climate change have serious adverse effects on residents' health in many coastal metropolises in southeast China. Adaptive capacity (AC) is crucial to reduce heat vulnerability in the human-environment system. However, it is unclear whether changes in individual characteristics and socioeconomic conditions likely amplify or attenuate the impacts of residents' heat adaptive capacity (HAC) changes. Moreover, which public policies can be implemented by the authorities to improve the HAC of vulnerable groups remains unknown. We conducted a questionnaire survey of 630 residents of Xiamen, a typical coastal metropolis, in 2018. The effects of individual and household characteristics, and government actions on the residents' HAC were examined by using ordinal logistic regression analysis. Results show that the majority (48.10%) of Xiamen residents had a “medium” HAC level, followed by a “high” level (37.14%). On Xiamen Island, residents who settled locally for one–three years and spent less than one hour outdoors might report weaker HAC, and their HAC would not improve with increased air conditioning units in household. In other areas of Xiamen, residents with more rooms in their households, no educational experience, and building areas <50 m 2 might report better HAC. Further, vulnerable groups, such as local residents and outdoor workers on Xiamen Island, people lacking educational experience and renters in other areas of Xiamen, showed better AC to hot weather than those in previous studies. Low-income groups should be given more attention by local governments and community groups as monthly household income played a positive role in improving Xiamen residents' HAC. Rational green spaces planning and cooling services, such as street sprinkling operations, provided by municipal departments can effectively bring benefits to Xiamen residents. Identification of basic conditions of AC has significant implications for practical promoting targeted measures or policies to reduce health damages and livelihood losses of urban residents during extreme heat events

Adaptive capacity · Business · Climate change · Economics · Environmental health · Environmental protection · Extreme heat · Geography · Household income · Local government · Logistic regression · Ordered logit · Population · Public health · Socioeconomic status · Socioeconomics · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Medicine · Urban Heat Island Mitigation

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