A new tool out of the University of Michigan maps the community’s vulnerability to heat stress of regions across the state due to climate change.
The map shows regions of the state that will see some of the largest negative impacts are cities - where researchers say temperature will spike quicker and communities are often more vulnerable to those changes.
Dr. Trish Koman is a Researcher at the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan and worked on the maps.
“Climate change often feels pretty far away. People think it is in the future. It’s happening to other people and other parts of the world,” she said. “I think having a map of your own community and own state it makes the information seem closer to you.’
Koman said, especially in the Northern parts of the state, there is not a lot of preparedness for warming.
“Our housing and our buildings are often built for colder weather and not necessarily for summer weather and heat. They may be structured in such a way that they are not well adapted for heat waves and heat effects.”
The maps show data on population, place, and temperature to identify regions with the highest vulnerability.
Koman said she hopes the project is used to help identify regions and communities that will need additional resources.
“We want to target resources for solutions so that we can reduce this vulnerability and have the healthiest Michigan possible,” she said.
Koman said the state’s vulnerability to warming is an issue that needs to be addressed now. The effects of climate change, she says, are already happening.
You can view the charts here.