Seoul Institute Calls for Measures to Identify Those Vulnerable to Heat Waves

The Seoul Institute report analyzes that damage caused by heat waves varies by household depending on a combination of factors such as the home's ventilation status, air conditioner usage, and health conditions, rather than simply age or gender. It emphasized that instead of categorizing the vulnerable solely as the elderly or low-income groups, there is a need to identify households where these residential and health conditions overlap and provide intensive support.

Major overseas cities are adopting and utilizing indicators and maps that analyze regional heat risks and social vulnerabilities together to respond to heat waves. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) interprets heat waves from a health risk perspective through Heat Health Indicators, while New York City has established a Heat Vulnerability Index to identify areas with a high risk of heat-related deaths.

Japan uses the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index, which objectively represents heat stress by synthesizing humidity and radiant heat, as a standard for heat wave disaster prevention. Paris, France, operates the 'REFLEX system,' a database of vulnerable citizens, to respond to extreme heat wave risks.