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Adapting to Extreme Heat Events: Guidelines for Assessing Health Vulnerability

Figure 1: Factors that influence individual and community level vulnerability to extreme heat events

A circle diagram has an outer (community factors) and inner ring (individual factors), and an individual at the centre of the rings. Community factors include summer outdoor festivals or events, health system capacity, urban design, social networks, income, health system preparedness, public buildings with air conditioning, lack of health warning systems, local climate, air pollution, type of housing, and cooling options. The individual factors include income, age, medications, personal behaviour, type of housing, fitness level, health status, acclimatization, and access to cool places. A stylized person is at the center of the two rings indicating that both individual and community factors influence a person's total vulnerability.