The Effects of Heatwaves in The Hague

The project entitled ‘The Effect of heatwaves on vulnerable population groups in The Hague’ collected data through surveys, Focus Group Discussions and interviews to map the needs of independently living seniors in order to adapt to heatwaves, the sustainable (frugal) solutions that exist, and the actions that the municipality could take to address these needs and thereby contribute to urban resilience.The data consisted of 164 completed surveys: 92 in Loosduinen, and 72 in Schilderswijk and Transvaal (44 and 28 respectively), as well as three Focus Group Discussions and 23 interviews with representatives of the target population, experts in the field of public health, heat, and resilience, policymakers, advisors, entrepreneurs that offer innovative solutions for use during a heatwave, healthcare workers, and housing corporations. Desk research as well as an online validation workshop helped to contextualise and verify the findings. Research limitations included limited access to the target population due to data protection rules, selection bias, institutional barriers, the lack of an extreme heat event in the summer of 2021, and restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.We found that over 80% of respondents were concerned about the cost of cooling and how they can cool themselves. Three solutions –sunscreens, air conditioning, roof insulation or having a green roof - are highly ranked as options that the respondents would like to implement in their (communal) living space but they face high costs and institutional barriers. The study also highlighted the role of (in)formal networks and housing corporations in reducing their vulnerability. The main policy recommendations directed at the municipality of The Hague centre around how to create ownership of heat as an urban resilience problem that cuts across several policy domains, and how to further develop its Local Heat Plan.The research was funded by the municipality of The Hague and implemented as a cooperation between (and with co-funding from) the Centre of Expertise Global Governance, the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS, Erasmus University Rotterdam) and the International Centre for Frugal Innovation (ICFI, Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities). It was implemented between March 1st and December 31st, 2021.

本项目题为《海牙市热浪对脆弱人群的影响》，通过问卷调查、焦点小组讨论（Focus Group Discussions）与访谈收集数据，旨在梳理独立生活老年人的热浪适应需求、现有可持续（节俭型）解决方案，以及海牙市政当局可采取的相关应对举措，以此助力城市韧性提升。本次研究共收集到164份有效问卷：其中洛德伊宁（Loosduinen）地区92份，希尔德斯韦克（Schilderswijk）与特兰斯瓦尔（Transvaal）地区共72份（两地分别为44份与28份）；此外还开展了3场焦点小组讨论，并对目标人群代表、公共卫生、热浪与城市韧性领域专家、政策制定者、顾问、提供热浪应对创新解决方案的创业者、医护人员及住房合作社成员开展了23次访谈。案头研究与线上验证研讨会助力研究结论的情境化阐释与效度验证。本研究的局限性包括：受数据保护法规限制难以接触目标人群、选择偏倚、制度性壁垒、2021年夏季未出现极端高温事件，以及新冠疫情带来的各项限制。研究结果显示，超80%的受访者担忧降温成本及自身降温方式。防晒措施、空调、屋顶隔热或安装绿色屋顶这三项解决方案，被受访者列为希望在其（公共）居住空间落地的优先选项，但此类方案面临高昂成本与制度性壁垒。本研究同时凸显了正式与非正式社交网络及住房合作社在降低人群脆弱性方面的作用。面向海牙市政当局的核心政策建议围绕两大核心：一是如何将热浪问题作为跨多政策领域的城市韧性议题达成共识，二是如何进一步完善当地热浪应对计划。本研究由海牙市政当局资助，由全球治理专家中心（Centre of Expertise Global Governance）、国际社会研究学院（International Institute of Social Studies, 鹿特丹伊拉斯姆斯大学，简称ISS）与节俭创新国际中心（International Centre for Frugal Innovation, 莱顿-代尔夫特-伊拉斯姆斯大学联盟，简称ICFI）合作开展，并获得了上述机构的联合资助。研究实施周期为2021年3月1日至2021年12月31日。