Heatwave vulnerability and climate policy assessment in Central Europe: A comparative study of Hungarian and Slovak cities

The occurring and projected changes in climate patterns and associated demographic, socio-economic, and environmental factors make Central European cities vulnerable to heatwaves. However, urban areas in the Carpathian Basin, located just a few hundred kilometers apart, exhibit diverse geographical and microclimatic conditions contributing to distinct local-specific features. This paper aims to analyze the vulnerability of Hungarian county seats and Slovak regional seats to heatwaves by integrating statistical indicators, remote-sensing data, and qualitative information on urban climate strategies. By comparing less-studied urban areas, this paper fills a gap in the current literature and provides an easily adaptable assessment methodology incorporating quantitative and qualitative methods, which were rarely combined in previous research. The results highlight significant differences in sensitivity and adaptive capacity factors among the selected cities while also revealing country-specific aspects of policy-making strengths and weaknesses.