Creating an urban heat vulnerability index (HVI) in the face of climate change employing geospatial technology in Halifax, Canada

Abstract

Heat waves are one of the most common weather events happening in recent decades, posing threats to public health especially in urban built-up environments. This study employs geospatial techniques to evaluate urban heat vulnerability in the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) was developed through the utilization of the Geographic Information System (GIS), integrating exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity measures generated using Remote Sensing (GIS) and socioeconomic datasets for four years covering: 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021. The process applies an Equal Weight Approach (EWA) to assign equal importance to the 16 normalized variables considered in creating the comprehensive HVI. The overarching goal of this study was to assess heat vulnerability at a local level by offering a detailed analysis of these 16 proposed indicators in an urban setting. The results revealed that the HVI attained its peak in the year 2021, exhibiting a variable trajectory in its scores, with all years demonstrating a significant high-risk zone encompassing the regional center. Findings may enable multiple stakeholders to understand spatial variability of temperature anomalies at local level and may identify vulnerable populations at risks.