2 weeks Ago
Heatwaves in Australia are expected to become hotter, longer and more frequent under climate change. They can seriously affect our health and wellbeing, and even kill people. But how well-prepared are Australian households for life in a hotter world? Our new research explored this question in Victoria.
We examined how households cope with, adapt to and endure summers and heatwaves. We found they overwhelmingly considered summer heat a temporary disruption – something to just get through. This is consistent with the approach taken by authorities, which generally treat heatwaves as isolated emergencies.
This needs to change. Governments, emergency services and households must move beyond short-term coping strategies. A more sophisticated, long-term approach to managing heatwaves is needed.
Household experiences of heat We wanted to better understand the experience of Victorians at home across the year. To do this, we interviewed members of 74 households in the Latrobe Valley (30) and Melbourne (44) between 2019 and 2021. We also walked with people through their homes.
We asked about the household's experience of summer at home and how they coped with the heat. We paid particular attention to people's everyday routines and the passage of heat through the home. Questions covered the comfort of the home in summer, the different spaces householders used throughout the year, and the changes they had made (or would like to make) to the home to make it more comfortable.
Participants were also asked about how manageable they found their energy and other bills. Finally, participants were asked to reflect on their longer-term housing aspirations. What we found Many households prepared their home and themselves for a heatwave and the disruption it would cause, by shutting blinds or curtains and turning on fans or air conditioners.
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