Mapping the Vulnerability of Human Health to Extreme Heat in the United States
Citation:
U.S. EPA. Mapping the Vulnerability of Human Health to Extreme Heat in the United States. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-18/212F, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
This report was prepared by the National Center for Environmental Assessment in the Office of Research and Development at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This report is based on an expert elicitation of governmental and academic scientists. The experts completed one-on-one interviews regarding the methodology and data requirements for assessing vulnerability of certain population to the health impacts associated with extreme heat in the U.S. and for developing vulnerability maps that characterize and locate vulnerable populations. Prior to the expert elicitation, a manuscript was prepared that reviews and summarizes the scientific literature and provides the background and motivation for this report.
Description:
The EPA has begun to identify and define methodologies for developing maps and mapping tools that allow for an assessment of the health impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations. Maps can serve as powerful tools for analysis and communication. They reveal complex spatial and temporal patterns that would be difficult to interpret through text alone, and allow local stakeholders to visualize areas of vulnerability within the context of places they know. Maps can also be influential in decisions to target resources to vulnerable populations to develop adaptation responses that promote resiliency.