Non-optimal indoor temperatures measured in informal dwellings during cold months in Johannesburg, South Africa: implications in a changing climate

IF 4.7 2区环境科学与生态学 Q2 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Environmental Development Pub Date : 2025-06-07 DOI:10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101269

Tokelo Seabi , Thandi Kapwata , Natasha Naidoo , Caradee Y. Wright , Shalin Bidassey-Manilal

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Exposure to non-optimal temperatures is associated with adverse health outcomes. Low-income communities living in informal housing (colloquially called shacks) are vulnerable to the negative health outcomes associated with non-optimal temperatures given the characteristics of their dwellings.

Objective

The study aimed to measure wintertime temperatures in shacks in Bekkersdal, West Rand District Municipality (South Africa).

Methods

iButtons were installed in 10 shacks for 13 days to measure temperature at 10-min intervals. Ambient outdoor temperature data were collected for the same period as the dwelling temperature campaign from the nearest automatic weather station operated by the South African Weather Service. A questionnaire was administered to 127 shack residents to determine household socio-demographics (participant age/gender; number living in dwelling; and length of stay in dwelling) and dwelling characteristics (type of wall/floor; presence/absence of insulation; energy used for heating).

Results

Indoor temperatures ranged between 3 °C–33 °C (mean: 13 °C, median 12 °C). Daily mean indoor temperatures for all shacks combined were below the World Health Organization threshold for minimum indoor temperature of 18 °C for 94 % of the study duration. Indoor temperature increased as outdoor temperatures increased and this association was statistically significant (R = 0.98, p < 0.001). The majority of shacks (n = 108, 85 %) were made from corrugated iron sheeting and had no insulation hence the strong correlation between indoor and outdoor temperatures.

Conclusions

The poor insulation of shacks exposes residents to cold outdoor temperatures. Thus, people living in shacks are vulnerable to the adverse health effects associated with extreme cold. Guidance on how to create thermally efficient shacks with insulation is recommended as a temporary solution. However, the main goal should be to replace shacks with adequate formal, low-cost housing, which the government should provide.

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南非约翰内斯堡寒冷月份非正式住宅的非最佳室内温度测量：气候变化的影响

暴露于非最佳温度与不良健康结果有关。居住在非正式住房（俗称窝棚）的低收入社区由于其住房的特点，很容易受到与非最佳温度相关的负面健康后果的影响。目的本研究旨在测量南非西兰德区市贝克尔斯达尔的棚屋冬季温度。方法在10个棚内安装按钮，每隔10 min测量温度，连续13 d。从最近的南非气象局运营的自动气象站收集了与住宅温度运动同期的室外环境温度数据。对127名棚屋居民进行问卷调查，以确定家庭社会人口统计(参与者年龄/性别；居住在住所的人数；以及在住宅的逗留时间)和住宅特征(墙壁/地板类型；是否存在绝缘；用于加热的能源)。结果室内温度范围为3°C - 33°C（平均值：13°C，中位数：12°C）。在94%的研究期间，所有棚屋的日平均室内温度均低于世界卫生组织规定的最低室内温度18°C的阈值。室内温度随室外温度升高而升高，这种关联具有统计学意义(R = 0.98, p <；0.001)。大多数棚屋（n = 108,85%）由波纹铁皮制成，没有隔热层，因此室内和室外温度之间存在很强的相关性。结论棚户区保温性能差，使居民暴露在室外低温环境中。因此，住在棚屋里的人很容易受到与极端寒冷有关的不利健康影响。建议作为临时解决方案，指导如何创建具有隔热的热效率棚屋。然而，主要目标应该是用政府提供的足够的正式、低成本住房取代棚户区。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Environmental Development Social Sciences-Geography, Planning and Development

CiteScore

8.40

自引率

1.90%

发文量

审稿时长

74 days

期刊介绍： Environmental Development provides a future oriented, pro-active, authoritative source of information and learning for researchers, postgraduate students, policymakers, and managers, and bridges the gap between fundamental research and the application in management and policy practices. It stimulates the exchange and coupling of traditional scientific knowledge on the environment, with the experiential knowledge among decision makers and other stakeholders and also connects natural sciences and social and behavioral sciences. Environmental Development includes and promotes scientific work from the non-western world, and also strengthens the collaboration between the developed and developing world. Further it links environmental research to broader issues of economic and social-cultural developments, and is intended to shorten the delays between research and publication, while ensuring thorough peer review. Environmental Development also creates a forum for transnational communication, discussion and global action. Environmental Development is open to a broad range of disciplines and authors. The journal welcomes, in particular, contributions from a younger generation of researchers, and papers expanding the frontiers of environmental sciences, pointing at new directions and innovative answers. All submissions to Environmental Development are reviewed using the general criteria of quality, originality, precision, importance of topic and insights, clarity of exposition, which are in keeping with the journal''s aims and scope.