Heat and inequality

Upload your content
Image

Introduction

People living in slums or in poorly-maintained buildings experience growing health risks due to heat stress - this is called "thermal inequity". These resources explore risk factors and solutions.

Related links
Inequality as a disaster risk driver
Hazards
Heatwave
Themes
Social impacts and social resilience
Share this

Knowledge base

Update

More people will die of extreme heat than of infectious diseases

Extreme heat could become a major killer by the end of the century, equalling death rates for all infectious diseases combined, including tuberculosis, HIV and malaria.
The Wire
Research briefs

Identifying communities at risk for impacts of extreme heat

An analysis of ways to measure a community's vulnerability to climate change suggests that California's current method may leave some at-risk communities behind.
ScienceDaily PLOS ONE
Update

NYC’s trees: a natural defense against heat, but not equally shared

Preliminary findings indicate that park visitorship jumped this summer in NYC, but also that many New Yorkers felt they couldn't go safely to a park during the pandemic.
Climate Central
A Cooling Center sign during heat wave in Manhattan. NYCStock / Shutterstock.com
Update

Eat or stay cool? Cities test ways to protect the poor from rising heat

More action is needed to reach the poor and vulnerable, say city officials battling potentially deadly heatwaves.
Thomson Reuters Foundation, trust.org
Documents and publications
2018

Perceived heat stress increases with population density in urban Philippines

In this study, the authors investigated how people in urban areas across the Philippines are affected by heat, using data from 1161 responses obtained through an online survey. The research found that almost all respondents (91%) are already experiencing

IOP Science
Update

India: Poor urban neighbourhoods more vulnerable to extended effects of heat

Heatwaves affect poor urban neighbourhoods more than high-income areas due to a lack of open green spaces and air conditioning, a new study finds.
Mongabay
Documents and publications
2019

Public perceptions of the health risks of extreme heat across US states, counties, and neighborhoods

Extreme heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States. Many individuals, however, fail to perceive this risk, which will be exacerbated by global warming. Given that awareness of one’s physical and social vulnerability is a

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Update

As slums face heat extremes, “I feel really scared,” residents say

As climate change brings more heat extremes around the world, slums are particularly affected in many places, scientists say. The elderly and children are especially vulnerable , with many households headed by older people, who may be watching grandchildren as parents work elsewhere.
Thomson Reuters Foundation, trust.org
Update

Armed with wet sacks, India's poorest try to beat extreme heat

With little access to power, the poor in India find low-cost alternatives to stay cool during heatwaves. Temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celcius combined with humidity create a dangerous environment for the country's vulnerable. Curtains woven from grass and other similar solutions are used as natural air conditioners.
Thomson Reuters Foundation, trust.org
Update

Extreme heat – an "unseen threat" – burns U.S. urban poor

The urban heat island effect can aggravate pre-existing health issues. Solutions such as white roofs, tree planting, and public cooling centres are being implemented in cities to protect inhabitants. Still, the most accessible cooling option is air conditioning, which only redirects the heat out on the street, and for many is beyond their economic means.
Thomson Reuters Foundation, trust.org

Is this page useful?

Yes No
Report an issue on this page

Thank you. If you have 2 minutes, we would benefit from additional feedback (link opens in a new window).