Designing a Geospatial Information Infrastructure for Mitigation of Heat Wave Hazards in Urban Areas

Extreme heat is a natural hazard that could rapidly increase in magnitude in the 21st century. The combination of increasing urbanization, growing numbers of vulnerable people, and the evidence of global warming indicate an urgent need for improved heat-wave mitigation and response systems. A review of the literature on heat-wave impacts in urban environments and on human health reveals opportunities for improved synthesis, integration, and sharing of information resources that relate to the spatial and temporal nature of threats posed by extreme heat. This paper illustrates how geospatial technologies can aid in the mitigation of urban heat waves.