The Effects of Extreme Heat Adaptation Strategies under Different Climate Change Mitigation Scenarios in Seoul, Korea

Chae Yeon Park, Dong Kun Lee and Jung Hee Hyun
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Chae Yeon Park: Interdisciplinary Program in Landscape Architecture, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Dong Kun Lee: Department of Landscape Architecture and Rural System Engineering, College of Agriculture Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Jung Hee Hyun: Interdisciplinary Program in Landscape Architecture, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 14, 1-13

Abstract: The impacts of extreme heat in Seoul, Korea, are expected to increase in frequency and magnitude in response to global warming, necessitating certain adaptation strategies. However, there is a lack of knowledge of adaptation strategies that would be able to reduce the impacts of extreme heat to cope with an uncertain future, especially on the local scale. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of adaptation strategies to reduce the mortality risk under two climate change mitigation scenarios, using Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6 and 8.5. We selected four street-level adaptation strategies: Green walls, sidewalk greenways, reduced-albedo sidewalks and street trees. As an extreme heat assessment criterion, we used a pedestrian mean radiant temperature threshold, which was strongly related to heat mortality. The results, projected to the 2050s, showed that green walls, greenways and reduced-albedo sidewalks could adequately reduce the extreme heat impacts under RCP2.6; however, only street trees could reduce the extreme heat impacts under RCP8.5 in the 2050s. This implies that required adaptation strategies can vary depending on the targeted scenario. This study was conducted using one street in Seoul, but the methodology can be expanded to include other adaptation strategies, and applied to various locations to help stakeholders decide on effective adaptation options and make local climate change adaptation plans.

Keywords: climate change impact; decision-making; heat mortality; mean radiant temperature; RCP (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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