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Unequal and unjust: The political ecology of Bangkok’s increasing urban heat island

Marks, Danny ORCID: 0000-0003-0833-880X and Connell, John ORCID: 0000-0003-0945-0684 (2023) Unequal and unjust: The political ecology of Bangkok’s increasing urban heat island. Urban Studies . ISSN 0042-0980

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Abstract

The intensity of Bangkok’s urban heat island during the dry season can be as high as 6–7C and in the densest areas the urban heat island’s intensity is approximately 4C. The urban heat island thus is causing a city already oppressively hot to become even hotter. The urban heat island also contributes to health problems, such as heat stroke and fatigue, particularly to those with lower incomes. We historically examine the numerous causes of Bangkok’s urban heat island, such as the lack of green space, high levels of air conditioning, and high rates of vehicle exhaust fumes. For example, Bangkok has only three square metres of green space per person which is one of the lowest in all of Asia. Local governmental weaknesses, administrative fragmentation, prioritisation of economic growth and limited buy-in from the private sector have intensified Bangkok’s urban heat island, and imposed numerous barriers to actions that would reduce heat, such as establishing green space, restructuring urban transport or creating and following an effective urban plan. Ideas mooted to remedy these problems have yet to come to fruition, largely because of bureaucratic inertia, fragmentation and divisions within the relevant lead organisations. The political ecology lens also reveals how political–economic processes largely determine the vulnerability of urban inhabitants to heat, but also that thermal governance is highly unequal and unjust. Those who contribute to and profit the most from Bangkok’s urban heat island, such as real estate developers, shopping mall owners, and automobile corporations, suffer the least from its effects, whereas low income communities hardly contribute to this problem, yet are the most vulnerable.

Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Bangkok Metropolitan Administration; environmental justice; political ecology; urban governance; urban greenspaces
Subjects:Social Sciences > Political science
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > School of Law and Government
Publisher:SAGE Publications
Official URL:https://doi.org/10.1177/00420980221140999
Copyright Information:© 2023 Urban Studies
ID Code:28010
Deposited On:13 Jan 2023 13:28 by Daniel Marks . Last Modified 20 Jan 2023 10:29

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  • Unequal and unjust: The political ecology of Bangkok’s increasing urban heat island. (deposited 13 Jan 2023 13:28) [Currently Displayed]

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