Short to long-term exposure to high temperature and humidity can pose severe health complications. Previous studies in Bangladesh proposed that the health risks of exposure to high heat generally aggravated in summer and post-summer, affecting the field-based working population, elderly, school-aged children, and people with chronic health conditions. In Dhaka, climate change and various land-use activities have noticeably increased the near-surface ambient temperature during the dry months, adversely affecting public health outcomes for those vulnerable populations. Nonetheless, a lack of adequate monitoring stations significantly hinders any reliable assessment of the spatiotemporal variability of heat considering the land use characteristics. Consequently, this is a potential barrier to any evidence-based predictions regarding the vulnerability of people of different socio-demographic backgrounds across the small administrative areas within the city domain. Therefore, the proposed study aims to conduct a pilot-scale heatwave vulnerability assessment among people living in the most heatwave-vulnerable locations of Dhaka City and explore their adaptation strategies.

The study aims to map land surface temperature (LST) and identify the most heat vulnerable areas in Dhaka city, exploring community adaptation strategies against extreme heat conditions. Besides, the study will also estimate the heat vulnerability index to assess the adverse health impacts among people of different ages, gender, and occupation groups living in the heatwave-vulnerable locations of Dhaka City.  The study will comprise three work packages (WPs) based on a multimethod design comprising GIS mapping, literature review, secondary data analysis, and qualitative components: (a) Land surface temperature (LST) Mapping and Vulnerable areas identification, (b) FGDs and KIIs with relevant stakeholders, and (c) Preparing a Heat Vulnerability Index (HVI) using data from WP1 and WP2, secondary data, and literature review.