Extreme heat is the deadliest weather hazard in the United States, and climate change is only increasing the occurrence of high-heat days. As Indiana endures another summer featuring long stretches of hot and dry weather, two Hoosier communities recently shared plans to protect their residents from the public health impacts of extreme heat.
Through the Beat the Heat program, Clarksville and Richmond developed community-specific heat management plans that identify strategies and actions to combat the effects of hot days and nights. The plans are the result of months of public surveys, interviews, focus groups, and temperature data collection led by the communities’ heat relief coordinators.
Beat the Heat, the first program of its kind in the state, is administered by Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute and funded by the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
“Hoosiers are used to dealing with all kinds of weather, but extended periods of hot temperatures come with extra risks that we haven’t typically experienced in Indiana in the past,” said Dana Habeeb, an assistant professor at IU’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering and the program’s principal investigator. “To protect residents from heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and even death, communities need a plan to deal with extreme heat. By implementing their heat management plans, Clarksville and Richmond are not only looking out for their residents, they’re also developing strategies and resources that other Indiana communities can benefit from.”
Combined the two plans identified around 30 actions Clarksville and Richmond can take to lower the risks for heat. Each communities’ heat management plan covers four parts:
- a response protocol outlining strategies to protect vulnerable residents when a heat wave is imminent;
- an outreach strategy, including educational campaigns and workshops, to increase community awareness about the dangers of extreme heat and what to do to treat heat-related illness;
- home cooling strategies to increase energy efficiency and ensure access to air conditioning, especially for low-income residents; and
- ideas to combat heat through architectural and urban design—including green infrastructure like trees, green roofs, and more—which can have a significant impact on neighborhood air temperatures.
According to the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment, the number of extreme heat events will continue to rise significantly in all areas of the state due to climate change. In Clarksville, extreme heat events are projected to double by 2050. In Richmond, those numbers are projected to triple. Developing short- and long-term solutions to high heat is a key outcome of both community’s heat management plans, so that local governments can increase community resilience to extreme heat over time. Heat mitigation strategies could be as simple as closing the curtains during the hottest times of day. On a longer timeline, local governments can plan to increase their tree canopies and shrink asphalt parking lots, which absorb heat, where it makes sense.
“Like in much of the US, parking lots in Clarksville are designed for the busiest retail shopping day of the year,” said Bronte Murrell, Clarksville’s heat relief coordinator. “On hot summer days, those empty lots really heat up, raising temperatures in the surrounding area.”
Both communities’ reports stress the importance of reaching vulnerable populations that are more susceptible to the health impacts of heat, including outdoor workers, older adults, pregnant people, low-income or energy-burdened households, and people experiencing homelessness.
“Establishing cooling centers for people who may not otherwise have a way of escaping the heat is one significant action a community can take,” said Richmond heat relief coordinator Lucy Mellen. “Making sure people avoid utility shutoffs in the summer is another.”
With the reports complete, both communities will shift their focus to implementing the identified actions. That starts with education. Clarksville and Richmond both hosted Beat the Heat weeks in July to highlight the importance of heat preparedness. Other early priorities include signing residents up for local heat alerts and distributing heat relief kits to those in need.
To help kick start conversations about summer heat throughout the state, the Beat the Heat team created a heat-preparedness toolbox that can be used by anyone to increase awareness about the public health impacts of extreme heat.
“Every heat-related illness or death is preventable,” Murrell said. “Communities that are taking heat seriously today are going to be much better prepared for the changes we’re going to see down the road.”
About the Environmental Resilience Institute
Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute brings together a broad coalition of government, business, nonprofit, and community leaders to help Indiana and the Midwest better prepare for the challenges of environmental change. By integrating research, education, and community, ERI is working to create a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future. Learn more at eri.iu.edu.
Joto kali ni hatari ya hali ya hewa hatari zaidi nchini Marekani, na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa yanaongeza tu matukio ya siku za joto kali. Indiana inaendelea na majira ya joto na hali ya hewa kavu, na jamii mbili za Hoosier zimeshiriki mipango ya kulinda wakazi wao kutoka kwa athari za afya ya umma za joto kali. Kupitia mpango wa Beat the Heat, Clarksville na Richmond waliendeleza mipango maalum ya usimamizi wa joto ya jamii ambayo hutambua mikakati na vitendo vya kupambana na athari za siku na usiku wa joto. Mipango hiyo ni matokeo ya miezi ya uchunguzi wa umma, mahojiano, vikundi vya kuzingatia, na ukusanyaji wa data ya joto iliyoongozwa na mratibu wa misaada ya joto ya jamii. "Hii ni mpango wa kwanza wa aina yake katika jimbo hilo, unaosimamiwa na Taasisi ya Uvumilivu wa Mazingira ya Chuo Kikuu cha Indiana na unafadhiliwa na Ofisi ya Indiana ya Masuala ya Jumuiya na Vijijini. """ "Hoosiers ni kutumika kwa kushughulika na aina zote za hali ya hewa, lakini vipindi vya muda mrefu vya joto joto kuja na hatari za ziada kwamba sisi si kawaida uzoefu katika Indiana katika siku za nyuma, "alisema Dana Habeeb, profesa msaidizi katika IU's Luddy Shule ya Informatics, Computing, na Uhandisi na programu ya mtafiti mkuu." <unk>Ili kuwalinda wakazi dhidi ya uchovu wa joto, kiharusi cha joto, na hata kifo, jumuiya zinahitaji mpango wa kukabiliana na joto kali. "Kwa kutekeleza mipango yao ya usimamizi wa joto, Clarksville na Richmond sio tu kuangalia nje kwa wakazi wao, lakini pia wanaendeleza mikakati na rasilimali ambazo jamii nyingine za Indiana zinaweza kufaidika. ""Kujumuisha mipango miwili iliyotajwa karibu hatua 30 Clarksville na Richmond zinaweza kuchukua ili kupunguza hatari za joto." Mpango wa usimamizi wa joto wa kila jamii unajumuisha sehemu nne: itifaki ya majibu inayoelezea mikakati ya kulinda wakazi walio hatarini wakati wimbi la joto linakaribia; mkakati wa ufikiaji, pamoja na kampeni za elimu na warsha, ili kuongeza ufahamu wa jamii juu ya hatari za joto kali na nini cha kufanya kutibu magonjwa yanayohusiana na joto; mikakati ya baridi ya nyumbani ili kuongeza ufanisi wa nishati na kuhakikisha upatikanaji wa hali ya hewa, haswa kwa wakazi wa mapato ya chini; na mawazo ya kupambana na joto kupitia usanifu wa usanifu na mijini. Kulingana na Tathmini ya Athari za Mabadiliko ya Hali ya Hewa ya Indiana, idadi ya matukio ya joto kali itaendelea kuongezeka kwa kiasi kikubwa katika maeneo yote ya jimbo hilo kwa sababu ya mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. Katika Clarksville, matukio ya joto kali yanatarajiwa kuongezeka mara mbili kufikia 2050. Katika Richmond, idadi hiyo inatarajiwa kuongezeka mara tatu. Kuendeleza suluhisho la muda mfupi na wa muda mrefu kwa joto la juu ni matokeo muhimu ya mipango ya usimamizi wa joto ya jamii, ili serikali za mitaa ziweze kuongeza upinzani wa jamii kwa joto kali kwa muda. Mbinu za kupunguza joto zaweza kuwa sahili kama kufunga mapazia wakati wa joto zaidi la siku. Kwa muda mrefu, serikali za mitaa zinaweza kupanga kuongeza canopies zao za miti na kupunguza maegesho ya lami, ambayo huchukua joto, ambapo ina maana. "Kama ilivyo katika sehemu kubwa ya Marekani, maegesho ya magari huko Clarksville yametengenezwa kwa ajili ya siku yenye shughuli nyingi zaidi ya ununuzi wa rejareja wa mwaka,"" alisema Bronte Murrell, mratibu wa kupunguza joto la Clarksville." "Katika siku za joto za majira ya joto, maeneo hayo ya tupu huwa na joto kubwa, na kuongeza joto katika eneo linalozunguka, ripoti za jamii zote mbili zinasisitiza umuhimu wa kufikia watu walio hatarini ambao wanaathiriwa zaidi na athari za joto kwa afya, ikiwa ni pamoja na wafanyakazi wa nje, watu wazima, watu wajawazito, kaya zenye mapato ya chini au wenye mzigo wa nishati, na watu wasio na makazi.""" "Kuanzisha vituo vya baridi kwa watu ambao huenda wasingeweza kutoroka joto ni hatua moja muhimu ambayo jamii inaweza kuchukua", alisema Lucy Mellen, mratibu wa misaada ya joto ya Richmond. "Kuhakikisha watu wanaepuka kuzimwa kwa huduma za umma wakati wa majira ya joto ni jambo jingine. " Pamoja na ripoti kukamilika, jamii zote mbili zitabadilisha lengo lao kutekeleza hatua zilizotambuliwa. Hilo huanza na elimu. Clarksville na Richmond wote wawili waliandaa wiki za Kupiga Joto mnamo Julai ili kusisitiza umuhimu wa kujitayarisha kwa joto. Vitu vingine vya kwanza ni pamoja na kuandikisha wakazi kwa tahadhari za joto za mitaa na kusambaza vifurushi vya kupunguza joto kwa wale wanaohitaji. Ili kusaidia kuanzisha mazungumzo juu ya joto la majira ya joto katika jimbo lote, timu ya Beat the Heat iliunda sanduku la zana la utayari wa joto ambalo linaweza kutumiwa na mtu yeyote kuongeza ufahamu juu ya athari za afya ya umma za joto kali. "Kila ugonjwa au kifo kinachohusiana na joto kinaweza kuzuiwa", akasema Murrell. "Kama ilivyoelezwa hapo juu, ""Mashirika ambayo yanachukua joto kwa uzito leo yatakuwa tayari zaidi kwa mabadiliko tutakayokuwa tukiona barabarani.""Kuhusu Taasisi ya Uvumilivu wa Mazingira, Taasisi ya Uvumilivu wa Mazingira ya Chuo Kikuu cha Indiana inakusanya muungano mkubwa wa serikali, biashara, mashirika yasiyo ya faida, na viongozi wa jamii kusaidia Indiana na Midwest kujitayarisha vizuri kwa changamoto za mabadiliko ya mazingira." Kwa kuunganisha utafiti, elimu, na jamii, ERI inafanya kazi kuunda siku zijazo endelevu, sawa, na tajiri. Jifunze zaidi kwenye eri.iu.edu.