One of his research priorities is to find out how heat stress affects health, productivity
Cheryl Tan
cheryltan@sp.com.sg
Why do some groups of people feel the heat more acutely than others? And what can be done to help them adapt so they stay healthy and productive? These are questions that climate scientist Matthias Roth, deputy head of the geography department at the National University of Singapore (NUS), hopes to answer.
Professor Roth recently launched a five-year project to find out how environmental risks such as heat and air pollution affect vulnerable groups – the elderly, children, and outdoor workers – in Singapore and the region.
He wants to use the results to guide national and regional policy to help these groups adapt and continue to thrive even as the world gets warmer.
“The increase in temperatures due to climate change is already taking place, and we need to understand who is at risk and what the risks are,” said Prof Roth. “If these risks are not dealt with, it will have a significant impact on people’s livelihoods, health, and well-being.”
His project, which was awarded $9 million under Singapore’s National Research Foundation’s (NRF) Competitive Research Programme, brings together experts across institutions to tackle the issues.
The research has two main arms:
Finding out how heat and air pollution affect health and productivity.
Developing solutions that can help vulnerable groups adapt.
Research will include large-scale data collection and the development of new tools to predict how people will react to different stressors, and how best to help them.
For example, researchers will look at places such as schools, nursing homes, and construction sites, where people might be more at risk from heat or poor air quality.
“Our first research priority is to find out how heat stress affects health and productivity,” said Prof Roth.
“We want to develop mitigation and adaptation measures which may include the redesign of public spaces — such as parks and walkways — to help keep workers and vulnerable people cool and safe,” he said.
The team will also work with communities and policymakers to help them understand the risks and build resilience, so they can take action before the issues become critical.
Prof Roth said the project is not just about understanding the risks, but also about creating solutions. For instance, his team is looking at technologies such as cooling garments and the use of green spaces to reduce urban heat.
The project is in collaboration with the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, and other institutions such as the Singapore University of Social Sciences and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s Institute of High Performance Computing.
“It’s important that researchers, policymakers, and communities work together to address these challenges,” Prof Roth said.
He hopes the research will result in new guidelines and policies to help vulnerable groups adapt to the changing climate, both in Singapore and other parts of South-east Asia.
With the increase of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and haze in recent years, the need to understand and address environmental risk is urgent, said Prof Roth.
The project will also help Singapore achieve its climate goals under the Singapore Green Plan 2030, he added.
“Ultimately, we need to ensure that Singapore remains liveable and resilient in the face of climate change,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment