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Published on: December 13, 2024
Developing a Novel Heat Vulnerability Index for Maricopa County, Arizona
Kevin Y Chen1, Sarah L Jackson2, Ethan A Forbes2
1Hamilton High School, Chandler, USA.
Summary
Extreme heat poses a public health risk, especially in urban areas. This study developed a Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) to identify at-risk communities, including the unhoused, and found higher mortality rates correlate with increased vulnerability.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Urban Planning
- Public Health
Background:
- Extreme heat events are a growing public health concern, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions.
- Existing vulnerability assessments often overlook marginalized populations, creating gaps in understanding heat-related risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a comprehensive Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) for Maricopa County, Arizona.
- To integrate data on often-overlooked populations, such as the unhoused, into heat vulnerability assessments.
- To identify key factors contributing to heat vulnerability across diverse urban-rural landscapes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized US census data, satellite imagery, chronic illness prevalence, and unhoused population data.
- Applied principal components analysis to identify nine distinct factors influencing heat vulnerability.
- Validated the HVI by correlating vulnerability scores with heat-related mortality rates.
Main Results:
- Identified nine key factors contributing to heat vulnerability, including socioeconomic status, race, age, health conditions, and housing status.
- Demonstrated a statistically significant increase in heat-related mortality rates with higher levels of heat vulnerability.
- Successfully integrated data on unhoused populations into the vulnerability assessment.
Conclusions:
- The developed Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) effectively identifies communities at high risk from extreme heat.
- Equitable approaches are crucial, requiring the inclusion of underserved and marginalized populations in heat vulnerability strategies.
- Further research is needed to address data resolution and temporal limitations for more precise vulnerability mapping.
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