Seoul's heatwave vulnerability mapped: Cooling centers hard to reach in some districts

Seoul residents in some of the city's southwestern and southeastern districts face a double threat: intense heatwaves and difficulty reaching public cooling centers. A recent study by the National Institute of Disaster and Safety Research reveals that these areas are most vulnerable to extreme heat.

The research, published in the Korean Society of Disaster and Safety journal, mapped Seoul's heatwave vulnerability. It found that while northern areas with mountains and green spaces are relatively cooler, districts like Yeongdeungpo, Yangcheon, Guro, Gangnam, and Songpa experience higher heat risks. However, accessibility to cooling centers, which include community centers, libraries, and welfare facilities, is a significant issue.

While central districts like Jung-gu and Yongsan offer good access, outer areas such as Eunpyeong, Gangseo, Gangdong, and Nowon have locations where reaching a shelter requires a walk of over 15 minutes. Considering an average walking speed, about 28% of areas with vulnerable populations lack a cooling center within a 5-minute walk. This gap widens to 101 locations for a 10-minute walk and 45 for a 15-minute walk. Eunpyeong district reported the highest number of 5-minute walk gaps, followed by Gangseo, Gangnam, and Seocho.

The study combined factors like surface temperature, projected heatwave days, vulnerable population distribution, and walking time to shelters. Researchers emphasized that simply increasing the number of cooling centers is insufficient. Future planning must prioritize convenient access for citizens, ensuring shelters are within easy walking distance, especially for the elderly and other vulnerable groups.

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We need to place them where citizens can actually walk to them, not just increase the number of shelters.