California Heat & Health Project: A Decision Support Tool

Author: Aleka Seville, Nik Steinberg

Organization: Four Twenty Seven

Year: 2016

California Heat & Health Project: A Decision Support Tool

Extreme heat in California is already a substantial threat to public health, and heat waves are projected to increase dramatically in magnitude and frequency in the coming decades. Although the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) generates short- and medium-term climate forecasts for the United States, public health warnings tailored to California’s local and regional conditions are not is available.

To better inform this tool, we conducted a robust literature review and user needs assessment to understand how the California Heat and Health Project can best inform and improve current efforts in all California regions. Our report outlines our key findings from this research including results from an online survey and interviews with public health, planning and emergency preparedness stakeholders throughout California.

Our research shows the limitations of emergency response to prevent the health impacts of heat waves. The greatest strides can be made through interventions planned well ahead of time, such as changes in the urban design and social programs. Therefore, we conclude that a new online decision support tool is best geared towards informing mid and long-term interventions to reduce the public health impacts of extreme heat.