Determining the Impact of Microclimatic Variables on Human Comfort; A Case Study of Akure Urban Environment, Nigeria

Abstract

This study involved the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) to examine variation of physiologic comfort of the people living in Akure urban environment using physiological equivalent temperature (PET) index. PET value was generated from both micro-climatic parameters and thermo-physiological data measured, using Rayman model because of its ability to generate mean radiant temperature and PET that are useful in thermo-physiological heat balance model. It also examined the responses from sampled population across different land uses, which formed the main objective of the study: that is, to analyze the spatial pattern of human comfort using physiological equivalent temperature index across different land use types in the study area. Result showed that thermal heat stress are found spatially and temporally (6:00; 12:00 and 18:00 local standard time, LST) within the study area as high as (41-55) °C due to different activities in each of the land uses studied. Result also indicated that many of the respondents were yet to have an understanding about thermal stress and its effects. The recommendation from this study is that data should be measured during days of dry season and improvement should be made in the area of tree planting and urban greenery.