Critical reflections on strategies for mitigating and adapting to urban heat islands

Figures & data

Table 1. Distinguishing characteristics of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures (modified from Dang et al. 2003).

Aspect	Adaptation	Mitigation
Purpose	Address immediate and future climate change impacts	Reduce GHG emissions to curb climate change
Timeframe	Short and medium term	Long term
Geographical scale	Local and regional	Global
Sectoral focus	A wider range of sectors	Energy-intensive sectors that are main sources of GHGs
Nature of action	Reactive to the real-world climate impacts. Proactive when adaptation measures are grounded in anticipated climate impacts.	Proactive measures to reduce emissions
Level of effectiveness	Less certain	Certain (with regard to the reduction of GHG emissions)
Equity Concerns	Some regions, with less historical responsibility for climate change, face disproportionate climate impacts, raising concerns about fairness.	Countries less vulnerable to climate impacts may lack motivation to contribute to mitigation efforts, posing challenges for global climate action.

Figure 1. Search and selection process.

Table 2. The standards employed to choose publications for inclusion in this research review.

Keywords	“mitigation”, “adaptation”, “tradeoff”, “conflict”, “synergy”, “co-benefit”, “climate change”, “urban heat island”, “UHI”, “building construction”, “urban”, “city”, interaction”, “interrelationship”.
Document type	Academic papers published in journals, conference proceedings, book chapters
Peer-review status	Priority was accorded peer-reviewed documents, then credible gray literature sources were used, e.g. monographs and empirical research publications by reputable independent research and policy institutes, organizations or consultancies.
Database websites	Google Scholar, Scopus, IEEE, Wiley Online Library, and Science Direct
Language	English
Publication date range	No time limit was considered

Figure 2. The term Co-occurrence diagram.

Table 3. The conflicts between UHI mitigation and adaptation strategies. Source Author.

Cluster	Mitigation	Adaptation	Conflict
Land Use Planning	Optimizing land use patterns to reduce heat-absorbing surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete. This typically includes encouraging higher-density development, mixed land uses, and preserving green spaces.	Preserving open spaces, parks, and green belts to provide cooling and resilience against extreme heat events. These strategies may lead to lower-density development and discourage urban densification.	The need for increased density to mitigate UHI clashes with the desire to preserve open spaces for adaptation. Striking a balance between these conflicting goals requires careful planning and consideration of local context.
Urban Form and Building Design	Altering urban form and building design to maximize shade, reduce the use of heat-absorbing materials, and enhance natural ventilation through compact and well-designed urban spaces.	Encourage more robust, heat-resistant building materials and designs that prioritize thermal comfort during extreme heat events. This could involve the construction of heat-resilient buildings with enhanced insulation and shading	The need for UHI mitigation, which favors certain building and urban design approaches, clashes with the adaptations that prioritize resilient construction materials and designs.
Green and Blue Infrastructure	Green and blue infrastructure play a critical role in UHI mitigation by providing shade, evaporative cooling, and reducing heat absorption.	They enhance urban resilience by providing cooling effects, reducing stormwater runoff, and mitigating flooding.	Allocating resources and space for green and blue infrastructure. While both strategies are essential, limited resources may force decision-makers to prioritize one over the other, potentially hindering a holistic UHI management approach.

Dang HH, Michaelowa A, Tuan DD. 2003. Synergy of adaptation and mitigation strategies in the context of sustainable development: the case of Vietnam. Clim Policy. 3(sup1):S81–S96. doi: 10.1016/j.clipol.2003.10.006.

 Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.