Comparative Vulnerability Assessment of Urban Heat Islands in Two Tropical Cities in Indonesia

Aims: To identify whether the urban heat island (UHI) phenomena occurs in Jakarta, a metropolitan city with business and industrial background, and Bandar Lampung, a growing city with agricultural background; to identify community vulnerability and adaptation to UHI impacts.

Place and Duration of Study: This research was conducted in selected area in Jakarta and Bandar Lampung, between September to November 2013.

Methodology: This study used direct air temperature measurements and satellite observation to identify UHI phenomena. The communities vulnerability was assesed with distributing questionnaires and interviewing households,the questions were tailored to fit the components of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. Vulnerability index is composed of exsposure and sensitivity. The exposure was compiled from community knowledge about climate change and temperature rising and the observed air temperature. The sensitivity was composed of water availability, health related to temperature rising, electricity need; and the adaptive capacity was composed of social relationship, education, income and house environment.

Results: UHI profile was identified in the morning in Bandar Lampung but not in Jakarta. In the afternoon, the UHI still existed in Bandar Lampung but weaker than in the morning, in Jakarta the UHI existed stronger; in the evening UHI was not identified in both cities. The temperature difference could be 4°C in Bandar Lampung and 5°C in Jakarta. Both the LVI and the LVI-IPCC index indicated that Bandar Lampung was less vulnerable to UHI impacts compared to Jakarta (0.303 compared to 0.311 and -0.011 compared to -0.017) both were categorized as moderate.

Conclusion: UHI is present both in Jakarta and Bandar Lampung, and this effect might related to the patterns of land cover in general. The residents both Bandar Lampung and Jakarta have average levels of vulnerability to temperature rises, with Bandar Lampung slightly less vulnerable compared to Jakarta.