Potential impacts of cool and green roofs on temperature-related mortality in the Greater Boston region

Abstract

Many cities are developing mitigation plans in an effort to reduce the population health impacts from expected future increases in the frequency and intensity of heat waves. To inform heat mitigation and adaptation planning, information is needed on the extent to which available mitigation strategies, such as reflective and green roofs, could result in significant reductions in heat exposure. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, we analysed the impact of green and cool (reflective) roofs on the urban heat island (UHI) and temperature-related deaths in the Greater Boston area (GBA) and New England area (NEA) in summer and winter. In the GBA, green and cool roofs reduced summertime population-weighted temperature by 0.35 °C and 0.40 °C, respectively. In winter, green roofs did not affect temperature, whereas cool roofs caused a temperature reduction of 0.40 °C. In the NEA, the cooler summers induced by green and cool roofs were estimated to reduce the heat-related mortality rates by 0.21% and 0.17%, respectively, compared to baseline. Cool-roof-induced temperature reduction in winter could increase the cold-related mortality rate by 0.096% compared to baseline. These results suggest that both green and cool roofing strategies have the potential to reduce the impact of heat on premature deaths. Additionally, the differing effects in winter suggest the need for a careful consideration of health trade-offs in choosing heat island mitigation strategies.