Investigation of outdoor thermal comfort and psychological adaptation in hot-humid climate of Qatar

Abstract

In the last few years, tremendous changes have taken place in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. These include rapid population growth, great improvements in education, the hosting of international events, and diverse economic development. All of these factors have led to an increase in the number of private cars in the city, leading to significant traffic congestion. To solve this problem, meet the goals of Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030, and successfully sponsor the FIFA World Cup 2022, the Transport Master Plan for Qatar (TMPQ) 2006-2026 was developed. This includes introduction of a metro and rail system. Most of the people in Qatar have private cars, which they generally consider necessary for door-to-door trips. The currently existing public transportation system is mostly used by blue-collar workers. Therefore, in order to develop a successful public transportation system, it is crucial to examine people’s thermal perception of outdoor spaces, particularly in terms of microclimate, and people’s adaptive actions in response to Qatar’s hot climate. In this research paper, the thermal comfort issue was explored by considering both microclimatic measurements and people’s self-described perception of microclimate, as determined via questionnaire. The outcomes of the research reveal that psychological adaptation improves people’s thermal tolerance to the outdoor climate in Qatar, so that they are largely able to adapt successfully to the heat. However, the findings also show that people’s thermal comfort could be further enhanced through minor modifications to the outdoor environment.