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Atmosphere
Special Issues
Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Thermal Comfort...
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Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Thermal Comfort Conditions and Adaptation

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Biometeorology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 December 2023) | Viewed by 6802

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Areti Tseliou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, 26335 Pátra, Greece
Interests: human biometeorology; climate and health; biometeorology and climate change; environmental design
Dr. Efthimios Zervas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, 26335 Pátra, Greece
Interests: air quality; outdoor and indoor air pollution; analysis of air pollutants; emissions of combustion systems (engines, tobacco, burners); environmental impact of energy systems; environmental design; sustainable systems of air pollution and climate change
Dr. Zoe Gareiou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, 26335 Pátra, Greece
Interests: climate change; climate and health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thermal sensation involves regulating heat exchange between the body and the environment, thus it is affected by the external temperature. Exposure to extreme heat increases heat stress and the mortality risk, especially in vulnerable groups. The effects of exposure to heat are projected to become more intense over time unless ambitious mitigation and adaptation measures are taken.

To ameliorate the adverse effects of climate change, we must expand our  knowledge of the challenges that concern human thermal comfort and health in outdoor environments. Therefore, we are pleased to announce the Special Issue on ‘Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Thermal Comfort Conditions and Adaptation’, the objectives of which are two-fold: The first objective is to enhance our scientific understanding of the effects of the thermal environment on human health and thermal comfort conditions in the urban environment. The second objective is to provide science-based knowledge, new approaches, and solutions regarding the various adaptation and mitigation strategies for the amelioration of the adverse consequences of climate change.

We encourage authors to contribute their original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and model studies on this topic. Research on future projections for human thermal stress and mortality risk-based climate models and warming scenarios are highly encouraged.  Additionally, examples of best practices, heat mitigation strategies, and technologies for the amelioration of human thermal comfort will be very important.

In particular, the following topics are of great interest:

  • Microclimatic monitoring and field surveys on human thermal conditions in outdoor open areas;
  • Evaluation of mitigation and adaptation strategies in the urban environment;
  • Environmental modeling and simulations to address the adverse effects of the thermal conditions in the urban environment;
  • Use of regional climate models for the future projections of temperature-dependent health risk under climate change scenarios;
  • Heat-related stress associated with non-optimal temperatures.

Dr. Areti Tseliou
Dr. Efthimios Zervas
Dr. Zoe Gareiou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • outdoor thermal comfort
  • environmental health
  • urban microclimate numerical simulations
  • adaptation and mitigation strategies
  • heat stress and health risk assessment
  • climate change exposure and adaptation

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 12412 KiB  
Article
Study on the Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Thermal Comfort and Its Influencing Factors in Urban Parks
by Yujie Liu, Jiayu Fan, Siqi Xie and Xuegang Chen
Atmosphere 2024, 15(2), 183; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15020183 - 31 Jan 2024
Viewed by 923
Abstract
In order to better understand the thermal comfort of urban parks and provide empirical reference for urban green space optimization design, 5 days’ field monitoring was conducted in People’s Park in Urumqi, an oasis city in an arid region of China. Combined with [...] Read more.
In order to better understand the thermal comfort of urban parks and provide empirical reference for urban green space optimization design, 5 days’ field monitoring was conducted in People’s Park in Urumqi, an oasis city in an arid region of China. Combined with GIS spatial interpolation, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, the spatial and temporal distribution of thermal comfort (HI and WBGT) of urban parks was discussed. The results showed the following. (1) The thermal comfort in the morning was generally higher than that in the afternoon, and the thermal comfort near the water body and lush vegetation in the park was higher, while the thermal comfort on the road was lower, especially on Hotan Street and Binhenan Road, which were far away from the park. Therefore, it is recommended that nearby residents exercise outdoors in the morning as much as possible and in the park, and in the afternoon, keep to the park and its vicinity and try to sit quietly or walk slowly, avoiding the less comfortable areas, such as Hotan Road and Binhenan Road. (2) Due to dense vegetation and lack of infrastructure construction, the thermal comfort area does not have the conditions for crowd gathering. Therefore, it is recommended that the park improve the infrastructure of relevant areas. (3) Through the analysis of the significant influence of explanatory variables on the explained variables, it shows that the ventilation effect in the park is insufficient. Therefore, it is recommended to appropriately increase the number of trees, water bodies, and wind channels to promote ventilation in the park so as to improve the thermal comfort of the park. These findings provide a theoretical basis and technical reference for optimizing the thermal comfort of urban green space and establishing a healthier and more comfortable living environment for urban residents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Thermal Comfort Conditions and Adaptation)
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17 pages, 5023 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Present and Future Heat Stress Conditions in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
by Juergen Junk, Mauro Sulis, Ivonne Trebs and Jairo Arturo Torres-Matallana
Atmosphere 2024, 15(1), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010112 - 17 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1084
Abstract
The impact of elevated air temperature and heat stress on human health is a global concern. It not only affects our well-being directly, but also reduces our physical work capacity, leading to negative effects on society and economic productivity. Climate change has already [...] Read more.
The impact of elevated air temperature and heat stress on human health is a global concern. It not only affects our well-being directly, but also reduces our physical work capacity, leading to negative effects on society and economic productivity. Climate change has already affected the climate in Luxembourg and, based on the results of regional climate models, extreme heat events will become more frequent and intense in the future. To assess historical conditions, the micro-scaleRayManPro 3.1 model was used to simulate the thermal stress levels for different genders and age classes based on hourly input data spanning the last two decades. For the assessment of future conditions, with a special emphasis on heat waves, a multi-model ensemble of regional climate models for different emission scenarios taken from the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) was used. For both, the past and future conditions in Luxemburg, an increase in the heat stress levels was observed. Small differences for different age groups and genders became obvious. In addition to the increase in the absolute number of heat waves, an intensification of higher temperatures and longer durations were also detected. Although some indications of the adaptation to rising air temperatures can be observed for high-income countries, our results underscore the likelihood of escalating heat-related adverse effects on human health and economic productivity unless more investments are made in research and risk management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Thermal Comfort Conditions and Adaptation)
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24 pages, 10004 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Green Roofs and Green Façades in the Pedestrian Thermal Comfort of a Mediterranean Urban Residential Area
by Areti Tseliou, Emmanouil Melas, Athina Mela, Ioannis Tsiros and Efthimios Zervas
Atmosphere 2023, 14(10), 1512; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14101512 - 29 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1083
Abstract
The present study investigated the cooling effect of extensive green roofs and green façades, at the pedestrian level, of a Mediterranean densely populated neighborhood. The ENVI-met environmental model was employed to simulate the microclimatic environment on a typical summer day. Thermal conditions of [...] Read more.
The present study investigated the cooling effect of extensive green roofs and green façades, at the pedestrian level, of a Mediterranean densely populated neighborhood. The ENVI-met environmental model was employed to simulate the microclimatic environment on a typical summer day. Thermal conditions of the study area were evaluated based on air temperature and the Mediterranean thermal stress scale of UTCI (Universal Thermal Climate Index). Three mitigation strategies were developed to ameliorate the thermal conditions in the examined area focusing on the efficacy of green façades, green roofs, and the synergetic effect of the green façade and green roof. The mitigation strategies’ performance was evaluated in characteristic design layouts of the study area, namely the following: a typical Mediterranean square, a church with a churchyard, an avenue, NS and EW street orientations, and courtyards. Results showed that compared to the existing configuration, the synergetic effect of the green façade and green roof achieved the greatest amelioration of the thermal conditions during the hottest hours of the day (12:00–18:00) since it produced an average Tair reduction of up to 0.7 °C and a UTCI reduction of 1.6 °C (both in the courtyards design layout). Among the examined design layouts, the courtyards produced the greatest reductions in air temperature and UTCI, whereas the EW streets were the lowest. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Thermal Comfort Conditions and Adaptation)
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14 pages, 4123 KiB  
Article
Mortality during Heatwaves and Tropical Nights in Vienna between 1998 and 2022
by Manuel Hagen and Philipp Weihs
Atmosphere 2023, 14(10), 1498; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14101498 - 28 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 814
Abstract
Rising summer temperatures lead to heat waves and tropical nights, which can result in health problems among the population. This work examined if mortality among Viennese people has increased under such weather conditions or whether the population was able to adapt to those [...] Read more.
Rising summer temperatures lead to heat waves and tropical nights, which can result in health problems among the population. This work examined if mortality among Viennese people has increased under such weather conditions or whether the population was able to adapt to those periods of extreme heat. Therefore, the daily climatic data of the Austrian Weather Service and the number of daily deaths in Vienna from 1998 to 2022 have been put into relation. After calculating the mean values from those data sets, we analyzed the total number of daily deaths but also the death rate per 100,000 inhabitants for the total Viennese population, for men and women. The impact of age structure on possible trends was analyzed and ruled out. The analysis showed that the mortality on days with heat events was still higher, but the mean values of daily deaths decreased over time, despite a doubling of heatwaves and tropical nights, which speaks for an adaptation to heat events by the Viennese population. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Thermal Comfort Conditions and Adaptation)
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30 pages, 6745 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Relationship of Outdoor Heat Stress upon Indoor Thermal Comfort and Qualitative Sleep Evaluation: The Case of Ankara
by Merve Münevver Ahan, Andre Santos Nouri and Andreas Matzarakis
Atmosphere 2023, 14(9), 1407; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14091407 - 06 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1127
Abstract
The necessity of exploring the relationship between sleep quality and the thermal environment has amplified regarding increasing heat stress risk on the human body due to climate change, particularly in vulnerable uninsulated buildings in Ankara. Within this scope, this study investigated occupants’ sleep [...] Read more.
The necessity of exploring the relationship between sleep quality and the thermal environment has amplified regarding increasing heat stress risk on the human body due to climate change, particularly in vulnerable uninsulated buildings in Ankara. Within this scope, this study investigated occupants’ sleep quality and human thermal comfort in insulated and uninsulated buildings under three local extreme heat event thresholds: (1) typical summer days (TSD25), (2) very hot days (VHD33), and lastly, (3) heat wave events (HWE31). Within a two-tiered approach to thermal comfort evaluations, the human thermal comfort of occupants was identified through the calculation of physiologically equivalent temperature (PET) from the climatic data of local meteorological stations. The psychological thermal comfort and sleep quality of participants were evaluated by questionnaires during each heat event. The results of this study demonstrated that the physiological thermal load of the participants was highest during VHD33s, given that both outdoor and indoor PET values presented their highest values within VHD33 events. Furthermore, the outdoor PET values reached extreme heat stress based on physiological stress grades with 43.5 °C, which indicated the exacerbated vulnerability of Ankara during extreme heat events. The PET values were consistently higher in uninsulated buildings than in insulated buildings. Also, most of the mean psychological thermal comfort votes and sleep quality votes were better in uninsulated buildings than in insulated ones during TSD25s and HWE31s, while it was the opposite within extreme conditions of VHD33s. The outputs of this study contribute to interdisciplinary efforts to attenuate the existing and impending risks of climate change on human life by defining the influence of increasing outdoor heat stress on indoor spaces, thermal comfort, and the sleep quality of occupants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Thermal Comfort Conditions and Adaptation)
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Review

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9 pages, 261 KiB  
Review
Bedrooms and the Vulnerability of Sleepers to Extreme Heat Events
by Stephen Emmitt
Atmosphere 2023, 14(12), 1782; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14121782 - 02 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 959
Abstract
Insufficient sleep is known to have an impact on health, wellbeing, and productivity. Sleep has been explored extensively in the medical literature but has received scant attention in the built environment journals. With the climate becoming unpredictable, combined with the climate emergency and [...] Read more.
Insufficient sleep is known to have an impact on health, wellbeing, and productivity. Sleep has been explored extensively in the medical literature but has received scant attention in the built environment journals. With the climate becoming unpredictable, combined with the climate emergency and concerns over energy poverty, questions need to be asked about the suitability of the housing stock and, especially, bedrooms. This is pertinent for vulnerable individuals (e.g., very young, elder members of society, and those with medical conditions) who may be unable to adapt their sleep environment in extreme and prolonged heat events. The aim of this narrative review is to raise awareness of the complex inter-relationship between the sleeper and the bedroom in domestic properties. It highlights the vulnerability of sleepers and the need for adaptation strategies to cope with extreme heat events without resorting to mechanical air conditioning. It emphasises the need for interdisciplinary research to better inform stakeholders of the risks posed to sleep quality by climate change, and contributes positively to the promotion of health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Climate Change on Human Health and Thermal Comfort Conditions and Adaptation)
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