Publication:
Unlivable: What the Urban Heat Island Effect Means for East Asia’s Cities

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dc.contributor.authorRoberts, Mark
dc.contributor.authorDeuskar, Chandan
dc.contributor.authorJones, Nicholas
dc.contributor.authorPark, Jane
dc.date.accessioned2023-12-20T13:25:55Z
dc.date.available2023-12-20T13:25:55Z
dc.date.issued2023-12-20
dc.description.abstractAmid continuing urban growth and the accelerating effects of climate change, East Asian cities suffer from more extreme temperatures than surrounding rural areas - being up to 2 degrees Celsius hotter on average. This urban heat island (UHI) effect is caused by cities’ relative lack of vegetation, the prevalence of impervious surfaces, construction of buildings in locations that block breezes, releases of heat from cars and machinery, and other features of the urban environment. In the decades ahead, the UHI effect will interact with climate change in ways that make cities even more prone to heat waves - already increasing in frequency and intensity - especially among East Asian cities in tropical zones and in low- and middle-income countries. Extreme heat not only lowers the economic competitiveness and livability of cities in the region but also increases the risk of death and illness. Groups such as low-income residents, outdoor workers, and the region’s growing elderly population are the most vulnerable to extreme heat. The poor are also more likely to bear the brunt of these harms: certain urban neighborhoods, particularly poorer ones, may be several degrees hotter than others within the same city. This report uses satellite data, on-the-ground data collection, and a review of economic literature to shed new light on the magnitude of the UHI effect and its impacts on East Asian cities. Using a “Places, People, Institutions” framework, the report provides practical suggestions to help policy makers to rise to the extreme urban heat challenge. These actions, such as promoting urban greening, adopting heat-resilient urban design, and implementing heat wave early warning systems - can help to protect East Asia’s urban residents from the impacts of extreme heat, contributing to cities that are more competitive, livable, and inclusive.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099071723235510237/P177113003ae610c809ca607b855651972e
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/40771
dc.identifier.urihttps://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/40771
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherWashington, DC: World Bank
dc.rightsCC BY-NC 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/igo
dc.subjectCLIMATE CHANGE
dc.subjectEXTREME TEMPERATURES
dc.subjectURBAN HEAT ISLAND (UHI)
dc.subjectUHI EFFECT
dc.subjectEXTREME HEAT
dc.subjectURBAN GREENING
dc.subjectCOOL CITY SPACES
dc.subjectHEAT-EXPOSED WORKERS
dc.titleUnlivableen
dc.title.subtitleWhat the Urban Heat Island Effect Means for East Asia’s Citiesen
dc.typeReport
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titleUnlivable: What the Urban Heat Island Effect Means for East Asia’s Cities
okr.date.disclosure2023-12-20
okr.date.doiregistration2025-05-14T02:23:35.801285Z
okr.date.doiregistration2025-06-03T02:10:31.841358Z
okr.date.doiregistration2025-06-04T02:10:15.895405Z
okr.date.doiregistration2025-06-05T02:10:08.651064Z
okr.date.doiregistration2025-06-06T02:10:13.749046Z
okr.date.lastmodified2023-12-13T00:00:00Zen
okr.doctypeEconomic & Sector Work
okr.doctypeEconomic & Sector Work::Other Urban Study
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099071723235510237/P177113003ae610c809ca607b855651972e
okr.guid099071723235510237
okr.guid099071723235511948
okr.identifier.docmidP177113-03ae6100-3ea2-49c8-9ca6-7b855651972e
okr.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1596/40771
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum34214501
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum34214501
okr.identifier.report186450
okr.import.id2641
okr.importedtrueen
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099071723235510237/pdf/P177113003ae610c809ca607b855651972e.pdfen
okr.region.geographicalEast Asia
okr.sectorSub-National Government
okr.themeUrban Infrastructure and Service Delivery,Mitigation,Environment and Natural Resource Management,Urban Planning,Climate change,Urban and Rural Development,Adaptation,Urban Development
okr.topicUrban Development::Urban Environment
okr.topicUrban Development::Urban Health
okr.topicUrban Development::Urban Housing
okr.topicEnvironment::Adaptation to Climate Change
okr.topicSocial Protections and Labor::Labor Standards
okr.unitUrban EAP 2 (SEAU2)
relation.isAuthorOfPublication47f1ec82-9abf-5d6f-9256-e1cc53ce62ee
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationaec2b5a0-c0a3-4ac0-b87c-87932c0d015a
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery47f1ec82-9abf-5d6f-9256-e1cc53ce62ee
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