- Thesis topic: Development and Application of a Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) to assess the City Heat Risk : A case study of Taoyuan, Taiwan

- Doi: 

- Abstract: 

        The objective of this study is to develop a Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) for Taoyuan City to comprehensively assess urban heat risk through empirical analysis. By integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and socioeconomic data, a Taoyuan-specific HVI (THVI) is constructed based on 13 indicators, including population density, elderly population ratio, green space coverage, building density, and land surface temperature (LST). The analysis identifies high-risk areas and vulnerable populations, particularly in densely populated districts with limited greenery such as Zhongli and Taoyuan. It also examines how socioeconomic and environmental factors influence heat vulnerability, providing a scientific basis for the development of targeted climate adaptation policies.
Following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR4) framework, heat vulnerability is defined by three components: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Data were obtained from Taoyuan City’s open databases and Landsat 8 imagery. All indicators were standardized using Z-scores and subjected to Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to address multicollinearity and determine principal component weights. Composite scores were calculated by weighting each principal component based on explained variance. GIS tools were employed for spatial visualization and identification of vulnerability patterns across districts.
Results show that Taoyuan and Zhongli Districts have the highest heat vulnerability due to high LST, population and housing density, and a greater proportion of vulnerable groups, coupled with lower NDVI and higher NDBI. In contrast, Fuxing and Daxi Districts, with favorable natural conditions and lower population densities, demonstrate lower heat vulnerability.

Keywords: Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI); Principal component analysis (PCA); urban heat risk; climate resilience; spatial analysis