Long-Term Assessment of Bioclimatic Conditions at Micro and Local Scales in the Cities of the Western Part of the Balkan Peninsula during the 21st Century

Dejana Đurđević, Milica Vasić, Matej Ogrin, Stevan Savić, Dragan Milošević (), Jelena Dunjić, Ivan Šećerov, Matej Žgela, Marijana Boras, Ivana Herceg Bulić, Milica Pecelj, Sanda Šušnjar, Milica Lukić, Marko Ivanišević, Goran Trbić, Golub Ćulafić and Luka Mitrović
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Dejana Đurđević: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Milica Vasić: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Matej Ogrin: Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Stevan Savić: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Dragan Milošević: Meteorology and Air Quality Group, Hydrology and Environmental Hydraulics Group, Wageningen University & Research, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
Jelena Dunjić: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Ivan Šećerov: Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Matej Žgela: Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Marijana Boras: Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Ivana Herceg Bulić: Department of Geophysics, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Milica Pecelj: Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić”, Serbian Academy of Science and Arts, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Sanda Šušnjar: Department of Geography, Faculty of Philosophy, University of East Sarajevo, 71123 East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Milica Lukić: Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Marko Ivanišević: Department of Spatial Planning, Faculty of Sciences, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Goran Trbić: Department of Spatial Planning, Faculty of Sciences, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Golub Ćulafić: Institute of Hydrometeorology and Seismology, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
Luka Mitrović: Faculty of Tourism, Mediterranean University Podgorica, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-24

Abstract: Thermal comfort assessments at local or micro-scales within urban areas can provide crucial insights for the urban adaptation strategies pertaining to climate-conscious urban planning and public health. However, the availability of long-term or mid-term daily or hourly meteorological data sets from urban environments remains a significant challenge even in the 21st century. Consequently, this study aimed to assess the thermal conditions in cities across the western part of the Balkan Peninsula, encompassing five countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro), by utilizing the Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) index. Meteorological data sets, comprising air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and cloudiness, were collected from 32 national meteorological stations/measurement locations spanning the period from 2001 to 2020. The PET calculations were conducted based on meteorological data measured three times per day (7 a.m., 2 p.m., and 9 p.m.). Upon conducting a spatial analysis of the meteorological stations, it was observed that most of them (25 stations) were situated within built-up areas or urban suburbs, rendering them highly relevant for local or micro-scale climate and bioclimate assessments. The findings revealed that urban locations exhibited slightly higher PET heat stress levels, particularly during the summer season and at 2 p.m. Moreover, higher average PET values were observed in both urban and non-urban stations situated within a continental climate during warmer periods, such as summer. In contrast, during the colder seasons, namely winter and spring, higher PET values were prevalent in the Mediterranean region. Furthermore, the PET frequency analysis revealed a greater prevalence of extreme and severe heat stress levels in stations within continental climates, particularly those located in urban areas, as compared to stations in Mediterranean climates. In contrast, during the winter and spring seasons, monitoring stations in close proximity to the Adriatic Sea, characterized by a Mediterranean climate, exhibited significantly lower levels of cold stress compared to inland stations. Evidently, in addition to the climatic characteristics and surrounding terrain, the urban morphology significantly impacts the thermal conditions within cities.

Keywords: bioclimate; outdoor thermal comfort; PET; microclimate; urban area; Balkan Peninsula (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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