Heatwaves and vulnerable populations: Mapping their needs in The Hague

This applied research project "The Effect of heatwaves on vulnerable population groups in The Hague" aimed to generate a better understanding of the effects of heatwaves on vulnerable population groups in the municipality of The Hague, and suggest ways in which the municipality can help such groups to cope with these heatwaves. The project team conducted surveys and Focus Group Discussions with senior citizens, and interviews with representatives of the private sector, care organisations, housing corporations and policy makers to map the needs of independently living seniors in order to adapt to heatwaves, the sustainable solutions that exist, and the actions that the municipality could take to address these needs and thereby contribute to urban resilience.

The four research questions asked about the socio-economic, age, gender, health and other relevant characteristics of the vulnerable populations in Schilderswijk, Transvaal and Loosduinen (Question 1), their needs in order to adapt to heatwaves (Question 2), the sustainable (frugal) solutions that exist to better meet vulnerable populations' needs during periods of extreme heat, and the extent to which these can be institutionalised (Question 3), and the actions that the municipality of The Hague could undertake to address these needs and thereby contribute to urban resilience (focusing in particular on how the municipality could adapt the way it communicates on heat wave-related risks with vulnerable populations – Question 4).

The report includes ten main recommendations for the municipality of The Hague, grouped under the headings of the four main phases in the local Heat Plan: preparation phase (autumn/winter), pre-warning phase (spring), warning phase (summer) and evaluation phase (autumn/winter). It is hoped that the findings and recommendations in this report will help the municipality of The Hague to further develop its local Heat Plan and increase urban resilience with regard to heatwaves more generally.