HOPE E-COURSE STUDENTS -ENGLISH FINAL

Module 4 Week 1: Interventions to reduce effects of extreme heat  (meso-level)

Welcome to the first week of the fourth module of this e-learning!

This module focuses on interventions on the meso-level: interventions on how to reduce complications from extreme heat, as well as to prevent high in-building temperatures.

The focus this week is on possible ‘building-related’ interventions that will help residents to cool down their buildings and living space in times of heatwaves. You will be asked to search for interventions and measures that are proven effective, or that are promising. Remember that each intervention needs a different implementation strategy. Also, try to combine interventions on micro- and meso levels during the assignments of this week. 

In advance, you might notice that the distinction between ‘prevention’ and ‘cure’ is less distinctive than often thought.

 This week’s work:

To get started, please read the article of Ollie Jay again, and focus on the part that deals with the meso-level. Keep in mind that this week is all about interventions that can be used to reduce the complications of heatwaves, once it gets hot inside. 

After having read it, try to answer the next questions:

 a.     Please take a good look at the table with the measures on a building scale. Are they easy and quick to implement when the weather gets hot? 

b.     Please consider the individual interventions again, and try to find individual measures that implicate adjustments, or conditions, related to the building, or house. Write them down. What are the pros and cons of these interventions?

 With this short exercise hopefully, you have seen that seemingly simple or logical interventions are not always as easy to implement in daily practice. To go further on this topic please read the article of Kownacki et al and answer the following questions for yourself.

a.     What is the general message of this article?

b.     Find out which building-related measures are known, and which of them are relatively easy to implement. Give a description. Keep in mind that it’s all about interventions to reduce complications of heat waves.

c.      To what extent do you think the results can be generalised to countries outside of Scandinavia? 

 Knowledge Check

To check whether or not you have understood the material presented in this week: 

a.      please read the case of the Residents Association LGRA Phase 1.

Make an intervention plan for the LGRA, and make use of the knowledge about intervention levels and implementation: What will your actions be?

b.     Explore the map with good practises and search for other interventions that can be used for the LGRA.