VULNERABILITY TO HEAT WAVES IN SPATIAL AND URBAN PLANNING: a case study in Campania Region

Heat waves are a meteorological phenomenon with severe and often irreversible effects on public health. The increase in their frequency, duration, and intensity is an increasing problem for urban communities, particularly in areas already vulnerable. The most exposed groups include the elderly, children, people with preexisting diseases, and individuals living below the poverty threshold, who suffer most from the consequences of extreme heat, such as cardiovascular and respiratory disorders and heat strokes. Planning must consider socioeconomic and environmental inequalities, with a detailed analysis of socio-demographic and territorial conditions to identify the most vulnerable areas and populations. Italy, along with other Mediterranean countries, is indicated as one of the regions most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, due to the intensification of the heat wave phenomenon. It becomes fundamental to integrate within the different planning levels, transformation, conservation, and/or valorisation decisions that support climate adaptation at all scales down to the local one, improving the resilience of communities and minimising health and social impacts [1].