Evaluating Health Risks Imapcts associated with Heatwaves in Urban Heat Islands

Keywords: Health Risk Analysis, Heatwaves, Geospatial analysis
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

Urban Heat Island effect is a condition where land surface temperature is evidently higher in urban areas than in surrounding rural neighborhoods. Heatwaves present a significant health risk, and the hazard is likely to escalate with the increased future temperatures presently predicted by climate change models. The impact of heatwaves is often felt strongest in towns and cities where populations are concentrated and where the climate is often unintentionally modified to produce an urban heat island effect.
An UHI effect causes temperatures to rise significantly than the surrounding areas can create its own weather by making clouds, stirring up thunderstorms, and magnifying challenges such as smog. Structures such as buildings, roads, and other infrastructure absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than natural landscapes such as forests and water bodies. Urban areas, where these structures are highly concentrated and greenery is limited, become “islands” of higher temperatures relative to outlying areas.
Thermal infrared (TIR) remote sensing allows for the collection, analysis, and modelling of environmental parameters such as Land Surface Temperature, LST. In the absence of a dense network of land-based meteorological stations, the spatial-temporal distribution of LST values from remote sensing imagery can be used as a parameter to monitor and model land surface temperature. Various satellite and airborne instruments can record thermal infrared spectra including Landsat TM/ETM+, ASTER and MODIS, AVHRR. This study utilizes remotely sensed satellite images together with ground data to perform an analysis of health risks associated with heatwaves in an urban setup.