From August 28 th to September 1st, our partner Wageningen University presented I-CHANGE research results at the International Conference on Urban Climate (ICUC11) in Sydney, Australia. The conference provides an international forum where experts on urban climate from all over the world can discuss modern developments in fundamental research alongside the application of climatic knowledge to the better design of cities.
Esther Peerlings – from Wageningen University – presented the results from the I-CHANGE Amsterdam Living Lab, which focuses on measuring, understanding and forecasting indoor heat as a hazard during heatwaves. Hitherto, the I-CHANGE Amsterdam Living Lab now has almost 100 households hosting weather stations measuring indoor temperature in their living room and bedroom. All participants are citizen scientists, and are involved and empowered by the project. Esther’s PhD study is titled: “Heatwave impacts on urban indoor air temperature assessed through citizen science observations in the Netherlands”.
Two key results:
- Indoor air temperature were higher than 24 degrees Celcius (= heatstress) for ~20% of the time on average up to 65% of the time for some residences from June to September in Amsterdam. (See figure.)
- Indoor temperatures lag roughly 130 min in the diurnal cycle. So indoor temperatures warm up and cool down slower than outdoor temperatures.
The ICUC11 conference was also a great place to meet and reconnect with young scientists in the field of urban meteorology. It is especially good for young scientists to be part of a community where they can exchange experiences and learn from each other. It also makes a conference on the other side of the world fun and an unforgettable memory.