PROGRESS IN GEOGRAPHY ›› 2016, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (10): 1197-1205.doi: 10.18306/dlkxjz.2016.10.003

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Comparison of heat wave vulnerability between coastal and inland cities of Fujian Province in the past 20 years

Xuemei ZHENG1(), Yi WANG1, Xiaoying WU1, Xi QI1, Xinhua QI1,2,3,*()   

  1. 1. School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
    2. Institute of Geography, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350007, China
    3. Key Laboratory for Subtropical Mountain Ecology, Fuzhou 350007, China
  • Online:2016-10-28 Published:2016-10-26
  • Contact: Xinhua QI E-mail:zhengxuemei123456@163.com;fjqxh74@163.com
  • Supported by:
    Humanities and Social Sciences Foundation of Ministry of Education of China, No.14YJCZH112;Public Project of Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology, No.K3-360;Project of Fujian Provincial Department of Education, No.JK2014007

Abstract:

As one type of meteorological disasters, heat waves have exerted great influences on human production, life, and health. In order to explore the differences of heat wave vulnerability between coastal and inland cities and its formation mechanism, a heat wave Vulnerability Scoping Diagram (VSD) is constructed in this article, which includes three dimensions—exposure, sensitivity, and adaptability. Using the daily extreme highest temperature data from 1994 to 2013 and economic and social statistics, the heat wave vulnerability and its three dimensions, i.e. exposure, sensitivity and adaptability, are assessed and compared respectively between Fuzhou and Nanping, which are located in the coastal and inland area of Fujian Province. It is attempted to explain the vulnerability differences between coastal and inland areas. The result shows that: heat wave vulnerability of the coastal and inland areas had significant differences due to their geographical and socioeconomic differences, and vulnerability to heat waves in the coastal region was lower than that of the inland area in the last 20 years. However, the rising vulnerability of the former may surpass that of the latter in the future as a result of economic development in the coastal area that leads to increased sensitivity. Environmental impact of human activities is relatively weak in the inland region, and vulnerability to heat waves will decrease slowly because of decreasing sensitivity and increasing adaptation. The key to reduce vulnerability to heat waves is to enhance regional adaptability and reduce sensitivity at the same time. This has important implications for designing effective polices.

Key words: heat wave, vulnerability, Vulnerability Scoping Diagram (VSD), coast area, inland area, Fujian Province