Quantifying and Analysing the Urban Heat Research Landscape Across 193 Countries

Urban heat is a critical challenge faced by cities all around the globe, as they are working towards becoming resilient and sustainable in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 11. The effects of climate change are expected to exacerbate the already severe health risks associated with urban heat, whereas mitigation measures come with wide-ranging benefits beyond urban heat itself. However, urban heat does not affect each region in the same way, and the efficiency of mitigation approaches can differ significantly. This paper aims to understand where research on urban heat is happening globally and investigate factors that play a role in spatial disparities through bivariate analyses. The results point towards research funding being a major factor in a region's research output. Another factor relating to both the occurrence of urban heat and research on urban heat is the size of the population. Africa and Oceania, in particular, have been found to be widely underrepresented, as...Show moreUrban heat is a critical challenge faced by cities all around the globe, as they are working towards becoming resilient and sustainable in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 11. The effects of climate change are expected to exacerbate the already severe health risks associated with urban heat, whereas mitigation measures come with wide-ranging benefits beyond urban heat itself. However, urban heat does not affect each region in the same way, and the efficiency of mitigation approaches can differ significantly. This paper aims to understand where research on urban heat is happening globally and investigate factors that play a role in spatial disparities through bivariate analyses. The results point towards research funding being a major factor in a region's research output. Another factor relating to both the occurrence of urban heat and research on urban heat is the size of the population. Africa and Oceania, in particular, have been found to be widely underrepresented, as well as regions in the tropical climate zone. Further research is needed to get a better understanding of these differences, and, on a larger scale, broad action is necessary to promote and accelerate research on and led by the global south.Show less

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Quantifying and Analysing the Urban Heat Research Landscape Across 193 Countries