Session: 02-05: International Emphasis Applications

Paper Number: 131398

131398 - Quantifying Thermal Discomfort in Built Environment for Major Cities in Saudi Arabia 

Abstract: 

Human-induced climate change has intensified the thermal discomfort people experience in urban living. Despite the substantial risks this poses to public health, there is a notable gap in comprehensive research assessing the spatial and temporal shifts in human thermal discomfort and its specific characteristics in hot-hyper arid regions, one such example is Saudi Arabia. In the midst of heatwaves, daily temperatures may surpass 50 °C, presenting a substantial hazard to the health and well-being of residents and workers in Saudi Arabia. It is estimated that the building energy requirement is more than 50% of the total power consumption. Furthermore, in the events of heatwaves, the cooling energy requirements augments substantially and put strain on power distribution. Hence, in environments characterized by elevated temperatures, the imperative for climate-controlled structures becomes indispensable for the effective functioning of contemporary societies.

The increasing trajectory of human discomfort, characterized by diverse and substantial negative consequences, underscores the critical need for a comprehensive approach that encompasses both mitigation and adaptation strategies. An accurate and timely assessment of human thermal stress is of paramount importance, as it plays a crucial role in understanding the extent and intensity of human thermal discomfort, identifying global hotspots, and taking proactive measures to address potential impacts on built environments. This approach is essential for developing effective policies and interventions to enhance resilience and well-being in the face of escalating thermal challenges.

Hence, it is critical to quantify thermal discomfort in terms of both thermal stress and intensity. Therefore, this work focused on analyzing thermal discomfort using the universal thermal climate index (UTCI) for efficient building design. Four major cities, Riyadh, Dammam, Makkah and Jeddah were selected and were examined for the period of 1979–2022. The spatiotemporal changes in human thermal discomfort categories and their characteristics in Saudi Arabia were estimated using the newly developed high-resolution gridded ERA5-HEAT (Human thErmAl comforT) dataset.

The prominent urban hubs have encountered notable rises in UTCI, registering an increase ranging from 0.4 to 0.8 °C, marked by heightened frequency and intensity over the course of the study duration. The heightened occurrence and severity of thermal discomfort in urban hubs of Saudi Arabia can be ascribed to their unique geographical placements, intricate climatic circumstances, regional and global atmospheric systems, urbanization, and population expansion. The insights and findings derived from this data have the potential to significantly contribute to the building design to maintain the human comfort conditions and shaping future building codes through informed policy decisions.

Presenting Author: Safi Ullah King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Presenting Author Biography: Safi Ullah is a Postdoctoral Fellow at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. His research interests revolve around climate change, climate extremes, climate modeling, and disaster risk management. He employs various statistical, analytical, and computational methods/techniques on in-situ observations, remotely sensed and reanalysis data, and climate model outputs to estimate observed and projected climate change risks.

Authors:

Safi Ullah King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Furqan Tahir King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)
Sami Al-Ghamdi King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)