Periods of extreme heat pose a risk to the health of individuals, especially the elderly, the very young, and the chronically ill. Risk factors include housing characteristics, and socioeconomic factors, or environmental risk factors such as urban heat islands. This study developed an index of population vulnerability in an urban setting using known environmental, demographic, and health-related risk factors for heat stress. The spatial variations in risk factors were correlated with spatial variation in heat-related health outcomes in urban Melbourne. The index was weighted using measured health outcomes during heatwave periods. The index was then mapped to produce a spatial representation of risk. The key risk factors were identified as areas with aged care facilities, higher proportions of older people living alone, living in suburban rather than inner city areas, and areas with larger proportions of people who spoke a language other than English at home. The maps of spatial vulnerability provide information to target heat-related health risks by aiding policy advisors, urban planners, healthcare professionals, and ancillary services to develop heatwave preparedness plans at a local scale. 1. Introduction Climate change projections for south eastern Australia include an increase in the number of warm nights, and heatwave duration, both of which are significant for human health, potentially the impacts of climate change on the health of Australia’s population is of growing concern [1]. Recent extreme heatwaves have caused serious health, economic and social problems in Europe, USA, and southeast Australia, particularly in urban areas. Such events will continue to pose additional challenges to health risk management, emergency response systems, and to the reliability of the power supplies and other infrastructure [2]. Important lessons can be learned from many of the public health outcomes experienced during the recent American and European heatwaves, and the actions that followed. Specifically adverse health effects resulting from hot weather and heatwaves are largely preventable under current climate conditions, if heat-health preparedness plans can be implemented [3, 4]. Heatwaves in the USA over the last decade and the European heatwave in 2003 (when over 45,000 people died [5, 6]) have indicated that there are commonalities in population vulnerability during heat events. The greatest risks appear to be for urban populations, the very young, the elderly, persons with chronic disease or disability, and persons living in a built environment that
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