Project Description
Extreme heat events are becoming more common with global climate change. Central California is already one of the hotter regions in the state, and it is poised to become worse with climate change. Heat vulnerability has been assessed at broad scales (cities, regions) but smaller-scale assessments (neighborhoods, communities) are needed to help prioritize resources and programs for vulnerable populations. The general population is often unaware of the dangers posed by extreme heat events. This danger is most acute for vulnerable members of the population, including the elderly and the very young. This danger is heightened for disadvantaged communities, who are made vulnerable to extreme heat risks due to aging building stocks, with poor maintenance, and a lower incidence of installed air conditioning.
• Will help to spread awareness of the dangers posed by extreme heat events among communities that may struggle to handle these added stressors.
• Will inform members of disadvantaged communities about measures (behavioral, social, technical) that they can employ to reduce their vulnerability and increase community resilience.
• Will contribute a case-study in heat-oriented resilience for utilities, cities, NGOs, and other stakeholders to use in developing programs.
• Will develop a set of materials which those same stakeholder types can use in future efforts.
• Will attempt to measure introduced behavior change resulting from resources developed and deployed through this grant opportunity.