Developing a Healthy Environment Assessment Tool (HEAT) to Address Heat-Health Vulnerability in South African Towns in a Warming World

Caradee Y. Wright (), Angela Mathee, Cheryl Goldstone, Natasha Naidoo, Thandi Kapwata, Bianca Wernecke, Zamantimande Kunene and Danielle A. Millar
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Caradee Y. Wright: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
Angela Mathee: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Johannesburg 2090, South Africa
Cheryl Goldstone: The Public Health Agency, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa
Natasha Naidoo: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
Thandi Kapwata: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Johannesburg 2090, South Africa
Bianca Wernecke: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Johannesburg 2090, South Africa
Zamantimande Kunene: Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Johannesburg 2090, South Africa
Danielle A. Millar: Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South Africa

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can cause heat-related illnesses and accelerate death, especially in the elderly. We developed a locally-appropriate Healthy Environment Assessment Tool, or ‘HEAT’ tool, to assess heat-health risks among communities. HEAT was co-developed with stakeholders and practitioners/professionals from the Rustenburg Local Municipality (RLM), a setting in which heat was identified as a risk in an earlier study. Feedback was used to identify vulnerable groups and settings in RLM, consider opportunities and barriers for interventions, and conceptualize a heat-health vulnerability assessment tool for a heat-resilient town. Using information provided by the RLM Integrated Development Plan, the HEAT tool was applied in the form of eight indicators relating to heat-health vulnerability and resilience and areas were evaluated at the ward level. Indicators included population, poverty, education, access to medical facilities, sanitation and basic services, public transport, recreation/community centres, and green spaces. Out of 45 wards situated in the municipality, three were identified as critical risk (red), twenty-eight as medium-high risk (yellow), and six as low risk (green) in relation to heat-health vulnerability. Short-term actions to improve heat health resilience in the community were proposed and partnerships between local government and the community to build heat health resilience were identified.

Keywords: adaptation; climate change; environmental health; environmental indicators; global heating; heatwaves (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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