Toshiaki Ichinose

Urban warming trends in several large Asian cities over the last 100 years

In this paper, the long-term trends in surface temperature in several large Asian cities (Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Manila, Bangkok, and Jakarta) have been analyzed for estimating the effects of urban warming. A new index, E-HII, is proposed: it is the value obtained by subtracting the temperature data of the four grids around the city from the observational temperature data in the city. Osaka shows the largest E-HII, increasing from approximately 2.4 degrees C in 1901 to almost 3 degrees C after 1981. The E-HIIs of Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei, have increased by 1 degrees C to 2 degrees C. Jakarta and Bangkok exhibited a lower E-HII. E-HIIs of Manila and Bangkok have been increasing rapidly after 1961.

Thermal environment simulation for three dimensional replacement of urban activity

Abstract The effect of a three-dimensional replacement of urban thermal environment activity is discussed on the basis of numerical simulation with a mesoscale climate model. Given a three-dimensional replacement of urban activity, greater concentration decreased surface air temperatures. Such concentration is apparently effective for modifying the thermal environment during the daytime, while the reduction of energy consumption is more effective during the night-time. Through sensitivity analysis, it is shown that building width and height variations with associated drag effects modify the environment near the ground.

Chapter 15 – Counteracting Urban Heat Islands in Japan

Publisher Summary Increasing urbanization is generally associated with heat islands—a phenomenon of rising temperatures in urban settings. As a result, more people are affected by higher temperatures for longer periods. Heat islands not only make life uncomfortable for urban residents, but the increased temperatures adversely affect peoples health, and the natural ecosystems in cities. With increasing urbanization, ground surfaces have been converted from natural soil or green tracts of land, which function to lower the surrounding air temperature through the cooling effect of evapotranspiration, to materials such as asphalt or concrete, which lack any water content and tend to heat the atmosphere. Exhaust heat from urban energy consumption, such as air conditioners or vehicle traffic, is also a major factor in atmospheric heating. The warmed atmosphere moves according to meteorological or geographic conditions such that the heat not only affects the region from where it originated but also produces downwind effects. Urban environments create a complex set of factors, such as the blocking of heat dispersal through natural wind flows, because of the formation of conurbations, the location of factories, and other major heat sources at coastal sites (windward) in seaside cities, and the formation of low-wind areas where the atmosphere tends to stagnate because of the shape of the ground surface, including urban topography and the presence of large buildings. Rising temperatures caused by urbanization can be thought of as anthropogenic climate change and measures to combat such change involve actions to mitigate the effects.

Impacts on Infrastructure and Socio-economic System

This chapter deals with the impacts of global warming and climate change on the human society. Infrastructures and socio-economic activities are considered to be sensitive to rises in atmospheric temperature and mean sea level, and changes in rainfall and typhoon caused by global warming. Since Japan has concentrated its population and industries to low-lying coastal plains, the effects of sea-level rise and intensified typhoons and storm surges will be severe. In addition, the effects of global warming spread in a wide area of highly industrialized society, such as human life, traffic systems and industries, through the adverse effects on the supply systems of fresh water and energy. Though the entire picture of such effects has not been studied yet, it was tried to review existing studies to extract as quantitative information as possible. When quantitative information was not available, possible impacts were estimated on the qualitative basis.

MODELS OF DOMESTIC CEREAL FLOW IN CHINA DUE TO STOCK AND ECONOMIC GRADIENT

GDPの比に比例して, 食糧余剰地域から食糧不足地域にメッシュ間の食糧輸送が起こる計画経済的な (非市場原理型の) モデル, メッシュの食糧吸引力分布形が当該メッシュのGDPに比例して決まる市場原理型のモデルの2つを構築し, 1辺約360kmの仮想島及び中国の華中～華南を対象として食糧ストック変化の数値シミュレーションを行った. 非市場原理型の線形需要空間型モデルでは, 食糧ストックの地域格差を縮小する方向に変化が進むのに対し, 市場原理型の非線形需要空間型モデルでは, 沿海部の大都市が急速に食糧を蓄積する結果, 地域格差が拡大し, 内陸地域で広域的に食糧ストックが不足するアンバランスな分布が発生する.

Feasibility Study on Effective Utilization of Sewage Heat in Urban Area with GIS

In an urban area, materials such as products, water and energy are inputs which are emitted in the form of garbage, sewerage water, exhaust gas and exhaust heat as the results of urban activities (Hanaki and Ichinose 1995). This procedure could be called “urban metabolism”, likened to the metabolism of a creature. The reduction of environmental load caused by urban activities is, therefore, optimal for the urban metabolic structure. Nowadays heat energy for space heating or hot water supply can be collected from sewerage water by heat pumps and from garbage incineration plants; the effective use of these kinds of heat energy closes the energy flow in urban areas and reduces the environmental load and the wastage of resources.