Heat risk in the city of São Paulo: Interactions between SUHI and social inequality

Abstract

Heat waves and urban heat islands, consequences of climate change and urbanization, are becoming more severe and frequent with a strong impact on heat risk. Understanding the spatial distribution of heat risk is essential to address climate adaptation. This work aims to develop a heat risk map for São Paulo, a subtropical city, the biggest in Latin America and the fourth largest in the world. The map was developed at the census tract scale, using public and open data and expert opinions, considering risk as a function of hazard, vulnerability and exposure conditions. The results show a strong relation between socio-economic aspects and heat risk and the necessity of integrated policies to reduce the risk. The novelty of the work is in the inclusion of housing type, urban morphology and vegetation proximity as parameters in a subtropical city. The spatially explicit identification of heat risk can contribute to both São Paulo and National Climate Plans and act as a planning tool to support municipal level climate adaptation decision-making. This is the first heat risk map developed in Brazil using this approach and parameters and the protocol can be replicated to other cities in the country.