Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
07:12
Façade-Level Monitoring of CO2 Variability under Urban Heat Island Conditions using Low-Cost Sensor Data Loggers
Published on: December 12, 2025
Towards climate-responsive cities: developing a heat vulnerability index for Jodhpur City, India
Rachit Sharma1, Ritika Kapoor2, Abhiyant Tiwari2
1Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
The Journal of Climate Change and Health
|May 21, 2026
Summary
Urban heat vulnerability varies significantly across Jodhpur’s wards. This study developed a Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) to identify high-risk areas for targeted climate change adaptation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Urban Planning
- Public Health
Background:
- Climate change exacerbates urban heat risks, necessitating spatial vulnerability assessments for effective adaptation.
- Understanding hyperlocal heat vulnerability is crucial for developing targeted strategies in densely populated areas.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a preliminary ward-level Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) for Jodhpur City, India.
- To characterize hyperlocal variations in heat vulnerability by integrating exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.
Main Methods:
- A two-step Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to integrate 11 socio-demographic and environmental indicators.
- Domain-specific PCA reduced dimensionality, and indicator weights were derived from component loadings to calculate the HVI.
Main Results:
- Heat vulnerability differed across Jodhpur's 80 wards: 25 highly vulnerable, 35 moderately vulnerable, and 20 low vulnerability.
- Exposure was linked to land surface temperature (LST) and population density; sensitivity factors included demographics and socio-economics; adaptive capacity was influenced by literacy, health access, green cover, and water resources.
Conclusions:
- The preliminary HVI enhances understanding of ward-level heat vulnerability in Jodhpur.
- Findings support informed decision-making for equitable heat adaptation planning.
Related Concept Videos
02:46Quantifying Heat
Thermal Energy Microscopically, thermal energy is the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules. Temperature is a quantitative measure of “hot” or “cold”, which depends on the amount of thermal energy. When the atoms and molecules in an object are moving or vibrating quickly, they have a higher average kinetic energy (KE) (or higher thermal energy), and the object is perceived as “hot”, or it is described as being at a higher temperature. When the atoms and...
01:50Global Climate Change
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
02:41Responses to Drought and Flooding
Water plays a significant role in the life cycle of plants. However, insufficient or excess of water can be detrimental and pose a serious threat to plants.
02:44Heating and Cooling Curves
When a substance—isolated from its environment—is subjected to heat changes, corresponding changes in temperature and phase of the substance is observed; this is graphically represented by heating and cooling curves.
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
For instance, the addition of heat raises the temperature of a solid; the amount of heat absorbed depends on the heat capacity of the solid (q = mcsolidΔT). According to thermochemistry, the relation between the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance, q, and its...
01:14Temperature Measurement Sites
A thermometer measures body temperature. The common sites for measuring body temperature are the oral cavity, axillary region, temporal artery, and skin surface, such as the forehead, abdomen, and axilla. True core body temperature is assessed in the rectum, tympanic membrane, pulmonary artery, esophagus, and urinary bladder.
Oral: When assessing oral temperature, the thermometer tip should be placed under the tongue in the posterior sublingual pocket. It offers accurate readings and can be...
Oral: When assessing oral temperature, the thermometer tip should be placed under the tongue in the posterior sublingual pocket. It offers accurate readings and can be...