Monitoring Day and Night-Time Situation of Urban Heat Island and Possible Adaptation Measures in Douala, Cameroon

Urban Heat Island (UHI) has the potential to directly influence the health and welfare of urban residents. The study employed a traditional method called “paired measurement program” to analyze the effects of four land use/land- cover patterns on intra-urban air temperature variations in the Douala Metropolis, Cameroon under different atmospheric conditions. This study also investigated the possible adaptation measures employed by the inhabitants to combat the urban heat island effects. The result revealed a variation in the temperature of the selected transects. There was a mix of cool and heat islands by day, especially during rainy seasons. The daytime variations were strongly correlated to the amount of tree shading. It was also observed that the temperature gradient was formed at the Central Business District (CBD) and progressively lowered to the suburbs. The thermal comfort classification for the area ranges between 25.4°C and 27°C, which is a class where over 50% of the population feels stressed; and the range of 32°C and above, where most of the population suffers discomfort. In order to investigate the possible adaptation measures employed by the inhabitants of Douala, two hundred and fifty questionnaires were distributed and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The result revealed that the inhabitants use various coping strategies in order to adapt to UHI effects. The strategies identified include; stay indoors, drink plenty of water, wear light clothing, go to an A/C location, take a cool shower, avoid outdoors, and wear a hat or cover head. The widely used coping strategy identified is drinking plenty of water. The expensive nature of A/C makes it the least used coping strategy.