Heatwaves and the Urban Heat Island in São Paulo, SP, Brazil

• Grant number: 20/01846-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): April 01, 2022
• Effective date (End): September 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Physical Geography
• Principal Investigator: Ligia Vizeu Barrozo
• Grantee: Sara Lopes de Moraes
• Supervisor: Clare Heaviside
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University College London (UCL), England
• Associated to the scholarship: 18/25462-0 - Extreme events of air temperature and their relation with the mortality of elderly people in the city of São Paulo, BP.DR

Abstract

Several studies have shown that heatwaves events will be more intense and frequent in the future, being a major public health problem worldwide. Heatwaves events are associated with the increase of mortality and hospital admissions rates, especially, in elderly, the most susceptible group. The risk of heatwave-related mortality can increase according to demographic determinants, social isolation, socioeconomic status, and living conditions. The built environment is also a key factor that plays an important role in heat-related health problems or death. The urban material can retain heat and cause alteration in the surface energy balance, intensifying the Urban Heat Island - UHI. Therefore, this internship proposal aims to explore and understand the relationship between the effects of the UHI on elderly mortality during a heatwave event in São Paulo, SP, Brazil. To verify this association a specific heatwave event will be classified, taking into account the time series analysis (2006 to 2015). The satellite images and the meteorological or regional climate models will be considered, as the methodological approach to quantify the UHI intensity during the specific heatwave event. It is expected to find results that show the heatwave-related elderly mortality with the UHI intensity and other determinant factors that are relevant to mitigate and reduce extreme air temperature impacts on human health.