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Urban Overheating: Heat Mitigation and the Impact on Health pp 275–292Cite as

Impact of Urban Overheating and Heat-Related Mortality in Hong Kong

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Part of the Advances in Sustainability Science and Technology book series (ASST)

Abstract

Climate change and the urban heat Island (UHI) effect jointly drive urban overheating, which increase mortality risks, in the high-density context of Hong Kong that is experiencing a rapid growth of extreme heat events. This chapter summarizes recent studies on mapping of urban overheating and estimation of heat mortality risks in Hong Kong. Both the UHI effect and daytime and nighttime extreme heat events have been found to be spatially variant and related to urban morphological factors. Exposure to higher UHI intensities, extreme heat events, particularly hot nights, and lower air ventilation could increase mortality risks. High-risk communities were identified by integrated extreme heat hazards and vulnerable population exposure. Research findings can provide informative references for heat-health impacts, UHI studies, urban planning, and health actions to achieve a livable, healthy, and climate-resilient high-density city.

Keywords

  • Urban overheating
  • Heat mortality
  • Heat wave
  • Extreme heat event
  • Hot night
  • Urban heat island
  • Urban morphology
  • Air ventilation
  • High-density city
  • Adaptation and mitigation

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Change history

  • 28 February 2023

    Correction to: chapter 14 in: N. Aghamohammadi and M. Santamouris (eds.), Urban Overheating: Heat Mitigation and the Impact on Health, Advances in Sustainability Science and Technology, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4707-0_14

Notes

  1. 1.

    https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/wxinfo/ts/display_element_hkhi.htm.

  2. 2.

    https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/cis/statistic/hngtday_statistic.htm.

  3. 3.

    https://www.hko.gov.hk/en/cis/statistic/hngtday_statistic.htm.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China

    Chao Ren

  2. Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China

    Yuan Shi & Kevin Ka-Lun Lau

  3. School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China

    Edward Yan Yung Ng

  4. School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China

    Junyi Hua

Authors
  1. Junyi Hua
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  2. Yuan Shi
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  3. Chao Ren
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  4. Kevin Ka-Lun Lau
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  5. Edward Yan Yung Ng
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Junyi Hua .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    Nasrin Aghamohammadi

  2. School of Built Environment, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Mat Santamouris

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Hua, J., Shi, Y., Ren, C., Lau, K.KL., Ng, E.Y.Y. (2022). Impact of Urban Overheating and Heat-Related Mortality in Hong Kong. In: Aghamohammadi, N., Santamouris, M. (eds) Urban Overheating: Heat Mitigation and the Impact on Health. Advances in Sustainability Science and Technology. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-4707-0_14

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