• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 2019

This study is to identify the heat vulnerability area as represented by heat risk factors which could be attributable to heat-related deaths. The heat risk factors were temperature, Older Adults(OA), Economic Disadvantage(ED), Accessibility of Medical Services(AMS), The population Single Person Households(SPH). The factors are follow as; the temperature means to the number of days for decades average daily maximum temperature above $31^{\circ}C$, the Older Adults means to population ages 65 and above, furthermore, the Economic Disadvantage means to the population of Basic Livelihood Security Recipients(BLSR), the Accessibility of Medical Services(AMS) means to 5 minutes away from emergency medical services. The results of the analysis are showed that the top-level of temperature vulnerability areas is Dong, the top-level of vulnerability OA areas is Eup, the top-level of AMS vulnerability is Eup. Moreover, the top-level of vulnerability ED area appears in the Eup and Dong. The result of analysing relative importance to each element, most of the Eup were vulnerable to heat. Since, there are many vulnerable groups such as Economic Disadvantage, Older Adults in the Eup. We can be figured out estimated the number of heat-related deaths was high in the Eup and Dong by the data of emergency activation in the Chungcheongnam-do Fire Department. Therefore, the result of this study could be reasonable.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.492-504
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• 2013

Objectives: This analysis seeks to evaluate the impact of environmental health factors (EHF; e.g. hospital beds per capita, employees of medical institutions) on extreme-heat vulnerability assessment in Busan Metropolitan City during 2006-2010. Methods: According to the vulnerability concept suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), extreme-heat vulnerability is comprised of the categories of Exposure, Sensitivity, and Adaptive Capacity (including EHF). The indexes of the Exposure and Sensitivity categories indicate positive effects, while the Adaptive capacity index indicates a negative effect on extreme-heat vulnerability. Variables of each category were standardized by the re-scaling method, and then each regional relative vulnerability was computed with the vulnerability index calculation formula. Results: The extreme-heat vulnerability index (EVI) excepting EHF was much higher in urban areas than in suburban areas within the metropolitan area. When EHF was considered, the difference in the EVI between the two areas was reduced due to the increase of the Adaptive capacity index in urban areas. The low EVI in suburban areas was induced by a dominant effect of natural environmental factors (e.g. green area) within the Adaptive capacity category. Conclusions: To reduce the vulnerability to extreme heat in urban areas, which were more frequently exposed to extreme heat than others areas, public health and natural environments need to be improved in sensitive areas.

• Journal of Korea Planning Association
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.87-107
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• 2018

With more than 10 million inhabitants, in particular, Seoul, the capital of Korea, has already experienced a number of severe heat wave. To alleviate the potential impacts of heat wave and the vulnerability to heat wave, policy-makers have generally considered the option of heat wave strategies containing adaptation elements. From the perspective of sustainable planning for adaptation to heat wave, the objective of this study is to identify the elements of vulnerability and assess heat wave-vulnerability at the dong level. This study also performs an exploratory investigation of the spatial pattern of vulnerable areas in Seoul to heat wave by applying exploratory spatial data analysis. Then this study attempts to select areas with the relatively highest and lowest level of adaptive capacity to heat wave based on an framework of climate change vulnerability assessment. In our analysis, the adaptive capacity is the relatively highest for Seongsan-2-dong in Mapo and the relatively lowest for Changsin-3-dong in Jongno. This study sheds additional light on the spatial patterns of heat wave-vulnerability and the relationship between adaptive capacity and heat wave.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.13-24
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• 2012

To prevent the damage to human health by climate change, vulnerability assessment should be conducted for establishment of adaptation strategies. In this study, vulnerability assessment was conducted to provide information about vulnerable area for making adaptation policy. vulnerability assessment for human health was divided into three categories; extreme heat, ozone, and epidemic disease. To assess vulnerability, suitable indicators were selected by three criteria; sensitivity, adaptive capacity, and exposure, spatial data of indicators were prepared and processed using GIS technique. As a result, high vulnerability to extreme heat was shown in the low land regions of southern part. And vulnerability to harmful ozone was high in the surrounding area of Dae-gu basin and metropolitan area with a number of automobiles. Vulnerability of malaria and tsutsugamushi disease have a region-specific property. They were high in the vicinity of the Dimilitarized zone and south-western plain, respectively. In general, vulnerability of human health was increased in the future time. Vulnerable area was extended from south to central regions and from plain to low mountainous regions. For assessing vulnerability with high accuracy, it is necessary to prepare more related indicators and consider weight of indicators and use climate prediction data based on the newly released scenario when assessing vulnerability.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.109-120
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• 2016

This study aims to assess vulnerability in urban thermal environments of Seoul by using indicators frequently used in previous studies as well as effective indicators for spatial planning like urban and environmental planning. For this purpose, fifteen indicators that influence urban thermal environments such as heat waves, urban heat island effects, and urban micro-climates were identified based on literature reviews. Indicators for presenting urban structure and spatial properties were included; for example, building volume as 'exposure to climate', buildings completed before 1980 as 'sensitivity', and green space areas as 'adaptive capacity'. Among them, twelve indicators were applied to assess vulnerability in urban thermal environments of Seoul by using a GIS spatial analysis combined with fuzzy logic. The results show that the Gangnam area is identified as more vulnerable to a heat environment as compared to the Gangbuk area. In the Gangnam area, Seocho-gu, Gangnam-gu, Dongjak-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Gangseo-gu were relatively high in vulnerability, while Dongdaemun-gu, Gangbuk-gu, Gwangjin-gu, Jungrang-gu were relatively high in the Gangbuk area. Gwanak-gu, Dobong-gu, Eunpyeong-gu, and Nowon-gu, which include forested areas, have low vulnerability in the sectors of 'exposure to climate' and 'sensitivity' due to the impact of Gwanaksan and Bukhansan. However, some areas with high vulnerability like Seocho-gu and Gangnam-gu may have lower vulnerability if the indicator 'status of air conditioning' from the sector of 'adaptive capacity' is used. This study could support the establishment of a practicable thermal environment policy and spatial planning to reduce heat-related risks in the field of urban and environmental planning.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.295-304
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• 2020

The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) recommended the importance of preventive measures against extreme weather, and heat waves are one of the main themes for establishing preventive measures. In this study, we tried to analyze the heat vulnerable areas by considering not only spatial characteristics but also social characteristics. Energy consumption, popu lation density, normalized difference vegetation index, waterfront distance, solar radiation, and road distribution were examined as variables. Then, by selecting a suitable model, SLM (Spatial Lag Model), available variables were extracted. Then, based on the Fuzzy theory, the degree of vulnerability to heat waves was analyzed for each variable, and six variables were superimposed to finally derive the heat vulnerable area. The study site was selected as the Daegu area where the effects of the heat wave were high. In the case of vulnerable areas, it was confirmed that the existing urban areas are mainly distributed in Seogu, Namgu, and Dalseogu of Daegu, which are less affected by waterside and vegetation. It was confirmed that both spatial and social characteristics should be considered in policy support for reducing heat waves in Daegu.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.1-23
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• 2018

This study aims to propose a way for evaluating thermal environment vulnerability associated with policy to improve thermal environment. For this purpose, a variety of indices concerning thermal vulnerability assessment and adaptation policies for climate change applied to 17 Korean cities were reviewed and examined. Finally, 15 indices associated with policies for improving thermal environment were selected. The selected indices for thermal vulnerability assessment were applied to Daegu Metropolitan City of South Korea as a case study. As results, 15 vulnerability maps based on the standardized indices were established, and a comprehensive map with four grades of thermal vulnerability were established for Daegu Metropolitan City. As results, the area with the highest rated area in the first-grade(most vulnerable to heat) was Dong-gu, followed by Dalseo-gu and Buk-gu, and the highest area ratio of the first-grade regions was Ansim-1-dong in Dong-gu. Based on the standardized indices, the causes of the thermal environment vulnerability of Ansim-1-dong were accounted for the number of basic livelihood security recipients, the number of cardiovascular disease deaths, heat index, and Earth's surface temperature. To improve the thermal environment vulnerability of Ansim-1-dong, active policy implementation is required in expansion and maintenance of heat wave shelters, establishment of database for the population with diseases susceptible to high temperature environments, expansion of shade areas and so on. This study shows the applicability of the vulnerability assessment method linked with the policies and is expected to contribute to the strategic and effective establishment of thermal environment policies in urban master district plans.

• Atmosphere
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.225-234
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• 2014

Analysis of the cause of death (Statistics Korea) showed that heat wave caused 442 deaths (21 per a year) from 1991 to 2011 in Korea. The number of summer heat-related deaths (heat disorders) increased exponentially as heat wave prolonged. In 1994 when the extreme heat wave prevailed, there were 92 heat-related deaths. Seasonally, heat-related deaths occurred most frequently in early August when air temperature is highest for a year, but it is frequent as well in late July when air temperature increases rapidly after withdrawal of Changma. The frequency of deaths by age has begun to increase from 40s and more than half of total deaths were occurred in the elderly (${\geq}60$). Except retired elderly, the most vulnerable group (job and age) was the elderly agricultural workers and the next was the jobless people in 40 s~50 s, assumed as homeless people. The most vulnerable regions were Hapcheon-gun, Uiryong-gun, and Sanchen-gun, which are inland rural area in Gyeongsang-do where the heat wave occurs most frequently in Korea. The heat-related death rate increased rapidly when air temperature exceeded $33^{\circ}C$ in both of the urban and rural area. Interestingly, the heat-related death were observed in the relatively lower temperature in the cities ($29^{\circ}C$), as compare to the rural area ($31^{\circ}C$).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.29 no.7
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• pp.773-784
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• 2020

In order to protect the lives and property of citizens, the central and local governments are responding by enacting municipal ordinances and regulations as the frequency of extreme weather conditions due to climate change increases and intensity increases gradually. Accordingly, the basic contents and strategies of domestic and foreign policies to cope with cold and heat waves were reviewed, referring to measures suitable for application to the Daegu metropolitan area. In addition, it is intended to provide a policy alternative to Daegu metropolitan area to minimize damage from extreme weather by identifying the current status, characteristics, and future prospects of extreme weather in Daegu metropolitan area. Since the damage caused by the cold wave in Daegu area is not as great as that of other regions, it is urgent to come up with cold wave measures for the health and transportation sectors, and to come up with measures against the heat wave as the damage caused by the heat wave is the most serious in the country. Also we will identify spatial characteristics so that the districts and counties with high vulnerability to extreme weather can be identified and implemented first, and present civic life-oriented facilities and civic action guidelines to overcome cold and heat waves.

• Journal of Environmental Policy
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.185-205
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• 2010

Climate change vulnerability assessment based on local conditions is a prerequisite for establishment of climate change adaptation policies. While some studies have developed a methodology for vulnerability assessment at the national level using statistical data, few attempts, whether domestic or overseas, have been made to develop methods for local vulnerability assessments that are easily applicable to a single city. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to develop a conceptual framework for climate change vulnerability, and then develop a general methodology for assessment at the regional level applied to a single coastal city, Mokpo, in Jeolla province, Korea. We followed the conceptual framework of climate change vulnerability proposed by the IPCC (1996) which consists of "climate exposure," "systemic sensitivity," and "systemic adaptive capacity." "Climate exposure" was designated as sea level rises of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 meter(s), allowing for a simple scenario for sea level rises. Should more complex forecasts of sea level rises be required later, the methodology developed herein can be easily scaled and transferred to other projects. Mokpo was chosen as a seaside city on the southwest coast of Korea, where all cities have experienced rising sea levels. Mokpo has experienced the largest sea level increases of all, and is a region where abnormal high tide events have become a significant threat; especially subsequent to the construction of an estuary dam and breakwaters. Sensitivity to sea level rises was measured by the percentage of flooded area for each administrative region within Mokpo evaluated via simulations using GIS techniques. Population density, particularly that of senior citizens, was also factored in. Adaptive capacity was considered from both the "hardware" and "software" aspects. "Hardware" adaptive capacity was incorporated by considering the presence (or lack thereof) of breakwaters and seawalls, as well as their height. "Software" adaptive capacity was measured using a survey method. The survey questionnaire included economic status, awareness of climate change impact and adaptation, governance, and policy, and was distributed to 75 governmental officials working for Mokpo. Vulnerability to sea level rises was assessed by subtracting adaptive capacity from the sensitivity index. Application of the methodology to Mokpo indicated vulnerability was high for seven out of 20 administrative districts. The results of our methodology provides significant policy implications for the development of climate change adaptation policy as follows: 1) regions with high priority for climate change adaptation measures can be selected through a correlation diagram between vulnerabilities and records of previous flood damage, and 2) after review of existing short, mid, and long-term plans or projects in high priority areas, appropriate adaptation measures can be taken as per this study. Future studies should focus on expanding analysis of climate change exposure from sea level rises to other adverse climate related events, including heat waves, torrential rain, and drought etc.