IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/nathaz/v120y2024i8d10.1007_s11069-024-06440-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Conceptualizing heat vulnerability: equity-centered approaches for comprehensive resilience in a changing climate

Author

Listed:
  • Consolata Wangechi Macharia

    (Georgia State University)

  • Lawrence M. Kiage

    (Georgia State University)

Abstract

The year 2023 set summer temperature records, stressing the urgency of tackling greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach that addresses vulnerable members of human society in urban, suburban, and rural environments. Vulnerability can be understood through the lens of equity, encompassing unjust social and political structures that dictate individuals’ sensitivity and resilience to natural disasters. It also signifies an imbalance between structural factors, system dynamics, and the environment, resulting in varying susceptibility patterns across geographical scales. Addressing vulnerability's root causes involves examining structural factors, system dynamics, and the environment, alongside mapping heat vulnerability using diverse metrics for comparison and coherence. The intricate relationship between environmental hazards and human vulnerability underscores the need to comprehend the multifaceted concept of vulnerability. This involves understanding exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, collectively shaping an entity’s susceptibility to extreme natural events. This review examines the intricate interplay between human vulnerability and environmental hazards, focusing on the context of heat-related risks. A more comprehensive understanding of heat challenges emerges by considering vulnerability variations influenced by human and environmental conditions. Population dynamics, often overlooked in vulnerability assessments, are recognized as critical determinants. We propose an integrated framework that advocates for incorporating changes in human and environmental conditions within vulnerability assessments, utilizing statistical predictive models to anticipate shifts due to population dynamics. Infrastructure and environmental factors are highlighted as essential components of vulnerability, requiring inclusion for accurate assessments at local levels. Challenges in vulnerability analysis, including defining outcomes and considering non-human species, are explored. Transformative heat policies are proposed to be concrete, inclusive, and responsive, emphasizing equity and involving stakeholders for effective governance. This review calls for more accurate, inclusive, and practical strategies for addressing heat-related vulnerabilities and enhancing community resilience.

Suggested Citation

  • Consolata Wangechi Macharia & Lawrence M. Kiage, 2024. "Conceptualizing heat vulnerability: equity-centered approaches for comprehensive resilience in a changing climate," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 120(8), pages 6923-6941, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:120:y:2024:i:8:d:10.1007_s11069-024-06440-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-024-06440-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11069-024-06440-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11069-024-06440-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fadly Syah Arsad & Rozita Hod & Norfazilah Ahmad & Rohaida Ismail & Norlen Mohamed & Mazni Baharom & Yelmizaitun Osman & Mohd Firdaus Mohd Radi & Fredolin Tangang, 2022. "The Impact of Heatwaves on Mortality and Morbidity and the Associated Vulnerability Factors: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-22, December.
    2. Marie O’Neill & Dana Jackman & Michelle Wyman & Xico Manarolla & Carina Gronlund & Daniel Brown & Shannon Brines & Joel Schwartz & Ana Diez-Roux, 2010. "US local action on heat and health: are we prepared for climate change?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 55(2), pages 105-112, April.
    3. Alex de Sherbinin & Guillem Bardy, 2015. "Social vulnerability to floods in two coastal megacities: New York City and Mumbai," Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, vol. 13(1), pages 131-165.
    4. Anne Jerneck & Lennart Olsson, 2008. "Adaptation and the poor: development, resilience and transition," Climate Policy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 8(2), pages 170-182, March.
    5. Eric Tate, 2012. "Social vulnerability indices: a comparative assessment using uncertainty and sensitivity analysis," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 63(2), pages 325-347, September.
    6. Hung Chak Ho & Anders Knudby & Wei Huang, 2015. "A Spatial Framework to Map Heat Health Risks at Multiple Scales," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Mary Fastiggi & Sara Meerow & Thaddeus R Miller, 2021. "Governing urban resilience: Organisational structures and coordination strategies in 20 North American city governments," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(6), pages 1262-1285, May.
    8. Susan L. Cutter & Bryan J. Boruff & W. Lynn Shirley, 2003. "Social Vulnerability to Environmental Hazards," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 84(2), pages 242-261, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Fei Li & Tan Yigitcanlar & Madhav Nepal & Kien Nguyen Thanh & Fatih Dur, 2022. "Understanding Urban Heat Vulnerability Assessment Methods: A PRISMA Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-34, September.
    2. Marta Contreras & Alondra Chamorro & Nikole Guerrero & Carolina Martínez & Tomás Echaveguren & Eduardo Allen & Nicolás C. Bronfman, 2025. "Risk Management of Rural Road Networks Exposed to Natural Hazards: Integrating Social Vulnerability and Critical Infrastructure Access in Decision-Making," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-23, August.
    3. Gainbi Park & Zengwang Xu, 2022. "The constituent components and local indicator variables of social vulnerability index," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 110(1), pages 95-120, January.
    4. Mohsen Alizadeh & Esmaeil Alizadeh & Sara Asadollahpour Kotenaee & Himan Shahabi & Amin Beiranvand Pour & Mahdi Panahi & Baharin Bin Ahmad & Lee Saro, 2018. "Social Vulnerability Assessment Using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Model for Earthquake Hazard in Tabriz City, Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-23, September.
    5. Jonathan W. F. Remo & Nicholas Pinter & Moe Mahgoub, 2016. "Assessing Illinois’s flood vulnerability using Hazus-MH," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 81(1), pages 265-287, March.
    6. Mary Angelica Painter & Sameer H. Shah & Gwendolyn C. Damestoit & Fariha Khalid & Wendy Prudencio & Musabber Ali Chisty & Fernando Tormos-Aponte & Olga Wilhelmi, 2024. "A systematic scoping review of the Social Vulnerability Index as applied to natural hazards," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 120(8), pages 7265-7356, June.
    7. Zachary T. Goodman & Caitlin A. Stamatis & Justin Stoler & Christopher T. Emrich & Maria M. Llabre, 2021. "Methodological challenges to confirmatory latent variable models of social vulnerability," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 106(3), pages 2731-2749, April.
    8. Ibolya Török, 2018. "Qualitative Assessment of Social Vulnerability to Flood Hazards in Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-20, October.
    9. Aaron Opdyke & Khadija Fatima, 2024. "Comparing the suitability of global gridded population datasets for local landslide risk assessments," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 120(3), pages 2415-2432, February.
    10. Joseph Karanja & Lawrence M. Kiage, 2022. "Scale implications and evolution of a social vulnerability index in Atlanta, Georgia, USA," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 113(1), pages 789-812, August.
    11. Weiwei Xie & Qingmin Meng, 2023. "An Integrated PCA–AHP Method to Assess Urban Social Vulnerability to Sea Level Rise Risks in Tampa, Florida," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-21, January.
    12. Hameeda Sultan & Jinyan Zhan & Wajid Rashid & Xi Chu & Eve Bohnett, 2022. "Systematic Review of Multi-Dimensional Vulnerabilities in the Himalayas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-20, September.
    13. Kangmin Kim & Jeon-Young Kang & Chulsue Hwang, 2025. "Identifying Indicators Contributing to the Social Vulnerability Index via a Scoping Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-29, January.
    14. Khaksar, Seyed Mohammad Sadegh & Khosla, Rajiv & Chu, Mei Tai & Shahmehr, Fatemeh S., 2016. "Service Innovation Using Social Robot to Reduce Social Vulnerability among Older People in Residential Care Facilities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 113(PB), pages 438-453.
    15. Nicolás C. Bronfman & Paula B. Repetto & Nikole Guerrero & Javiera V. Castañeda & Pamela C. Cisternas, 2021. "Temporal evolution in social vulnerability to natural hazards in Chile," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 107(2), pages 1757-1784, June.
    16. Yuan Zhao & Ronak Paul & Sean Reid & Carolina Coimbra Vieira & Chris Wolfe & Yan Zhang & Rumi Chunara, 2024. "Constructing Social Vulnerability Indexes with Increased Data and Machine Learning Highlight the Importance of Wealth Across Global Contexts," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 175(2), pages 639-657, November.
    17. Anamaria Bukvic & Guillaume Rohat & Alex Apotsos & Alex de Sherbinin, 2020. "A Systematic Review of Coastal Vulnerability Mapping," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-26, April.
    18. Yi Chen & Zhicong Ye & Hui Liu & Ruishan Chen & Zhenhuan Liu & Hui Liu, 2021. "A GIS-Based Approach for Flood Risk Zoning by Combining Social Vulnerability and Flood Susceptibility: A Case Study of Nanjing, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-17, November.
    19. Stephanie Chang & Jackie Yip & Shona Zijll de Jong & Rebecca Chaster & Ashley Lowcock, 2015. "Using vulnerability indicators to develop resilience networks: a similarity approach," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 78(3), pages 1827-1841, September.
    20. Fathin Faizah Said & Muhammad Muzammil Kamis & Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulud & Azmafazilah Jauhari & Nafisah Mohammed, 2024. "Assessing climate change vulnerability in coastal communities: a composite vulnerability index approach in Kuala Gula, Malaysia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(12), pages 32409-32444, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:120:y:2024:i:8:d:10.1007_s11069-024-06440-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.