The Critical Threshold: Unpacking Future Megacity Habitable Limits Under Intensified Urban Heat Extremes

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Autores principales: Revista, Zen, GEOGRAPHY, 10
Formato: Recurso digital
Publicado: Zenodo 2025
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author Revista, Zen
GEOGRAPHY, 10
author_facet Revista, Zen
GEOGRAPHY, 10
contents Rapid urbanization, coupled with accelerating climate change, is intensifying urban heat extremes globally, posing significant threats to the long-term habitability of megacities. This paper investigates the critical thresholds beyond which megacity environments become physiologically and structurally unsustainable for human populations under projected future heat scenarios. We integrate advanced climate projections, urban heat island (UHI) effect modeling, and established physiological heat stress indices to identify tipping points where current urban planning and adaptation strategies become demonstrably insufficient. The analysis reveals that substantial portions of vulnerable populations in representative megacities are projected to experience prolonged periods exceeding critical wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) thresholds, impacting public health, economic productivity, and social equity. Our findings underscore the urgent need for transformative urban governance and innovative infrastructure solutions that move beyond incremental adaptation to proactively address the systemic risks posed by unprecedented urban heat. The paper identifies key socio-economic and infrastructural vulnerabilities that amplify heat impacts, advocating for integrated approaches that prioritize climate-resilient design and equitable access to cooling resources to secure future urban habitability.
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spellingShingle The Critical Threshold: Unpacking Future Megacity Habitable Limits Under Intensified Urban Heat Extremes
Revista, Zen
GEOGRAPHY, 10
Rapid urbanization, coupled with accelerating climate change, is intensifying urban heat extremes globally, posing significant threats to the long-term habitability of megacities. This paper investigates the critical thresholds beyond which megacity environments become physiologically and structurally unsustainable for human populations under projected future heat scenarios. We integrate advanced climate projections, urban heat island (UHI) effect modeling, and established physiological heat stress indices to identify tipping points where current urban planning and adaptation strategies become demonstrably insufficient. The analysis reveals that substantial portions of vulnerable populations in representative megacities are projected to experience prolonged periods exceeding critical wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) thresholds, impacting public health, economic productivity, and social equity. Our findings underscore the urgent need for transformative urban governance and innovative infrastructure solutions that move beyond incremental adaptation to proactively address the systemic risks posed by unprecedented urban heat. The paper identifies key socio-economic and infrastructural vulnerabilities that amplify heat impacts, advocating for integrated approaches that prioritize climate-resilient design and equitable access to cooling resources to secure future urban habitability.
title The Critical Threshold: Unpacking Future Megacity Habitable Limits Under Intensified Urban Heat Extremes
url https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17839040