Cool Cities Heat Risk Index 100x100m Rotterdam - Interreg NSR

This dataset contains the Cool Cities Heat Risk Index (HRI) for the municipality of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The HRI is a spatial composite index that identifies where extreme heat is most likely to cause harm by combining hazard, exposure, and vulnerability into a single indicator. The index follows the IPCC risk framework and is designed as a screening tool to support urban climate adaptation planning and prioritisation.

The Rotterdam HRI is calculated at 100 by 100 meter grid resolution using open, harmonised datasets. Values range from 0 to 1 and represent relative heat risk within the city, not absolute or predictive health impacts.

Inputs
Hazard: Percentage of each grid cell area exposed to high heat stress, based on PET derived from the KlimaatEffectAtlas.
Exposure: Number of residents, elderly residents (65 plus), children (0 to 15), women, and dwellings per grid cell.
Sensitivity: Single-person households, residents receiving unemployment, social or disability benefits, social housing dwellings, and residents with a migration background.
Adaptive capacity: Percentage of owner-occupied dwellings and average property value.
All indicators are capped at the city specific mean plus two standard deviations and normalized to a 0 to 1 range.

Methods
Hazard, exposure, and vulnerability are combined multiplicatively. Vulnerability is calculated as a weighted combination of sensitivity and adaptive capacity, with sensitivity receiving double weight. Missing values are handled using neutral fallback rules to avoid artificial extremes. The final HRI is normalised and transformed using a fourth root to improve interpretability.

Intended use
This dataset supports identification of priority areas for heat adaptation in Rotterdam, comparison of relative risk patterns within the city, and communication with planners, policymakers, and stakeholders.

Limitations
The HRI represents relative spatial patterns under modelled extreme heat conditions. It does not include health outcome data, indoor temperatures, or temporal variation such as repeated heatwaves or nighttime heat stress.

Funding
Interreg NSR - Cool Cities