A Decadal Assessment of the Coordinated Relationship Between Heat Risk and Cooling Resources in Guangzhou, China

Weiwei Hu, Darong Guo, Jianfang Wang and Shitai Bao ()
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Weiwei Hu: College of Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Darong Guo: College of Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Jianfang Wang: College of Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Shitai Bao: College of Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-19

Abstract: Global climate change has intensified urban heat exposure risks due to extreme heat events, posing significant health threats, particularly to socially vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children. However, the spatial allocation of urban public cooling resources exhibits heterogeneity, leading to insufficient or mismatched provision of cooling facilities in high heat exposure areas. Taking the central urban area of Guangzhou, China as an example, we employ the hazard–exposure–vulnerability (HEV) framework to evaluate a composite heat risk index (HRI). Using a coupling coordination degree and development coordination coefficient, we identify the matching status and temporal dynamic between heat risk and facility supply across 2010 and 2020. The results indicate that (1) HRI generally exhibits high-value clustering in the core areas of the old city, while peripheral areas show relatively lower levels; (2) the coupling coordination degree (CCD) exhibits clear spatial clustering characteristics, and highly coordinated streets are mostly concentrated in old city areas, whereas newly developed and peripheral districts generally show low coordination; and (3) from 2010 to 2020, cooling facility development in old city districts was generally proactive, while newly developed and peripheral areas exhibited slower progress relative to increasing heat risk. This study highlights the issue of adaptive imbalance in the allocation of cooling resources concerning vulnerable populations, providing guidance for future urban planning.

Keywords: heat risk assessment; urban cooling resources; coupling coordination; spatiotemporal evolution; Guangzhou (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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