Assessment of Health Related Impacts of Urban Heat Island (UHI) in Douala Metropolis, Cameroon

摘要

Urban heat island (UHI) has the potential to directly influence the health and welfare of urban residents. This study assessed the health related impacts of urban heat island in Douala Metropolis in Cameroon. Two land-use classes (resident and commercial) and two land-cover types (paved and green surfaces) were used for the selection of the sample sites using purposive sampling technique. Two hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as multiple and simple bar charts, tables, graphs, central tendency, running mean and spearman’s rank correlation. The result revealed that the people of Douala are always in discomfort the climate usually in the form of heat stress, stroke, crumps, exhaustion, fatigue, headache, nausea, fainting and even death. The result equally showed a strong relationship between the land-use/cover and heat related symptoms.