Using multiple disparate data sources to map heat vulnerability: Vancouver case study

Extreme heat events have caused excess mortality in Canadian cities. In order to map the population groups most vulnerable to extreme heat in Vancouver, we overlaid multiple layers of socio-economic, environmental, and infrastructural data. By superimposing multiple disparate data layers, we were able to detect and visualize 105 socio-economically deprived dissemination areas with high vulnerability to extreme heat events. The three dissemination areas found to be most vulnerable to heat varied from the rest of the sample in terms of environmental and infrastructural variables. These three vulnerable dissemination areas also have relatively low vegetation cover as well as relatively hot surface temperatures. As such, they are socio-economically vulnerable, far from cooling and health infrastructure, and have an environment that elevates heat exposure. Our results are a preliminary step toward the development of tools that can help health authorities, city officials, and policymakers better understand who is at risk during extreme heat events, where they reside, what factors drive the risk, and ultimately what can be done to mitigate it.