2018 Reports

Application of Satellite-Based Data for Assessing Vulnerability
of Urban Populations to Heat Waves

Weber, Stephanie; Sadoff, Natasha; Zell, Erica; De Sherbinin, Alexander M.

In Philadelphia, researchers developed satellite-based heat vulnerability indicators integrating land surface temperature, socioeconomic data, and vegetation indices to assess exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to heat waves. The analysis identified neighborhoods with overlapping high heat exposure and social vulnerability, enabling targeted adaptation strategies such as urban greening and improved heat-health planning, with methods later tested for scalability in New York City.