“Urban Heat Islands: Impact on Human Health and Comfort” – Experts from University of Piura Discuss in New Book

2023-11-28 23:15:13

Rodolfo Rodríguez, director of the Ramón Mugica Scientific Station, and David Resano, director of the Department of Architecture, have contributed an article to the book “Selected Topics in Environmental Health.”

By Gabriela Hernandez. November 28, 2023.

The professors and researchers of the University of Piura wrote the joint article “Urban heat islands: their effect on comfort and human health”, for the publication “Selected topics in environmental health”, edited by the National Academy of Medicinewhich addresses crucial issues related to environmental health in the country.

Featured topics include the impact of heavy metals on health, air and water pollution, temperature, and environmental health policies.

20 authors participate in this publication, professionals from various areas of knowledge, educational institutions, public and private entities. It will be presented on December 1 at the Convention Center of the Medical College of Peru, in Miraflores-Lima.

“Urban heat island: its effect on human comfort and health”

In their article, researchers from the UDEP explore the phenomenon of the formation of an urban heat island (UHI), a thermal process that occurs in urban and suburban areas.

Doctors Rodríguez and Resano analyze this thermal phenomenon that occurs in large cities and highlight its formation due, mainly, to the disordered growth of cities and the use of construction materials with different thermal properties than natural areas.

The text explores the factors of formation of urban heat islands, such as the thermal properties of materials, the geometry of the urban layout, vehicular intensity, anthropogenic causes and the replacement of natural soil cover.

Furthermore, these islands are classified as subsurface, superficial and atmospheric, each with its specific characteristics; and, the advances in the study of this urban phenomenon worldwide, in Latin America and Peru, are reviewed.

The article “Urban heat islands: their effect on human comfort and health” provides a historical overview of ICU studies, from the first pioneering works in England to international advances and studies carried out in South America, with special emphasis on research carried out in Mexico, Santiago de Chile, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Lima.

Likewise, the authors detail the effects of ICUs on human comfort, and highlight the influence of climatic parameters such as radiation, temperature, humidity and wind speed. In addition, they address the direct and indirect impact on health, from disorders such as exhaustion due to dehydration, combined with waves or heat stroke, to respiratory problems due to increased air pollution.

Likewise, the article emphasizes the importance of urban planning to mitigate the formation of UHI, incorporating concepts of smart cities, urban ecology and bioclimatic architecture. Furthermore, the crucial contribution of increasing green areas is highlighted as one of the best ways to mitigate these phenomena, with special attention to the availability and sustainable use of water.

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