Evaluating Heat Vulnerability in Kinshasa, DR Congo: A GIS-Based Study Using Open-Source Geospatial Data

Abstract

Heat stress poses significant and unexpected dangers, particularly in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, where comprehensive heat risk assessments are lacking. In Central Africa, there has been little effort to investigate intra-city heat risk patterns due to limited data and computational resources at the institutional level. This study addresses this gap by synthesizing open-source geospatial datasets, including high-resolution land surface temperature data from Landsat, to map health-related heat risk in Kinshasa, DRC. Using a quantitative risk framework that integrates hazard, exposure, and vulnerability components, the analysis was conducted in open-source QGIS software and Google Earth Engine. The findings reveal a heat risk gradient that systematically decreases outward from the city center. Urban areas exhibit medium to high heat risk, while suburban and rural areas display low and very low risk. This pattern underscores the influence of factors such as the distribution of socioeconomic status, age demographics, population density, and vegetation coverage on heat risk. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers to develop targeted heat adaptation and mitigation strategies tailored to the most vulnerable areas of Kinshasa.