Vulnerability to Heat in Malaysian Public Housing Communities

Rising global temperatures, urban heat islands, and rapid development have made Vulnerability to Heat a particularly pertinent subject for urban dwellers in tropical Malaysia. Segments of the urban population are more at-risk due to a combination of socio-economic, demographic, and spatial characteristics, including Public Housing Communities (PHCs), the focus of this study. There is however limited information on how this community experiences, understands, or responds to heat in their daily lives. This study examines Vulnerability to Heat in a selected Malaysian PHC using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s definition of Vulnerability, comprising the sub-variables Sensitivity and Adaptive Capacity. Indicators collected via a household survey are used to construct the dependent variable Vulnerability to Heat, which is also used to segregate households into tiers of vulnerability. In addition, the independent variables Exposure, Thermal Comfort, and Risk Perception, are constructed and analysed through regressions. Challenges and opportunities within Vulnerability to Heat are explored. Findings prove that the studied PHC experiences heat related stress in daily life, with implications for quality of life and health. Drivers of vulnerability within the Sensitivity subvariable include Number of Health Symptoms, Gender Ratio, Household Size, and presence of Children under 5 years old. Drivers of vulnerability within Adaptive Capacity are Access to Cool Spaces, Income, Knowledge of Heat and Health, and Challenges to Adaptation. Regression of the independent variables against the Number of Heat-health symptoms show that 1) households exposed to more heat, 2) households experiencing worse thermal comfort, and 3) households with greater risk perception; are likely to report more heat-health symptoms. At the Composite Vulnerability level, regression shows 1) households exposed to more heat and 2) households experiencing worse thermal comfort, are likely to have higher vulnerability scores. Challenges faced by the community include financial constraints, the lack of skills or knowledge, and rules and regulations. Issues of access and overall marginalisation also play a role in Vulnerability to Heat. Opportunities lie in recognising the diversity of household composition in PHC, leveraging the high social cohesion between neighbours, utilising social media as an effective tool for spreading information and awareness, and working with the community to explore creative or low-cost ways to mitigate heat stress. Policies and interventions should adopt a targeted, data-driven approach to assisting communities affected by heat, focusing on practical and accessible solutions that bring the most benefit.