"Fearful of This Summer Amid Heatwave and COVID-19" Busan City Throws Out 'Emergency Card'

Customized COVID-19 Measures... Introduction of 4th Industrial Technologies like 'Drones' for Heatwave Preparedness
Heatwave Criteria Changed from 'Daily Maximum' to 'Daily Maximum Perceived'... Increase in Heatwave Alerts and Heat Detection

Distribution map of heatwave-vulnerable groups in Busan City.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] This summer, expected to have more scorching heat and tropical nights than usual, is forecasted to be particularly challenging with the addition of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19). It is a time when emergency measures combining COVID-19 and heatwaves are necessary.

Busan City announced the ‘2020 Comprehensive Heatwave Countermeasures’ on the 21st to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to build a safe Busan from heatwaves in preparation for this summer’s heatwave.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the average temperature in Busan this summer is expected to be 0.5 to 1.5℃ higher than the normal average (23.9±0.3℃), with 20 to 25 days of heatwaves and 12 to 17 days of tropical nights, which is more than the average and last year.

On the 3rd, the city held a ‘Comprehensive Heatwave Countermeasure Report Meeting’ attended by related organizations including city and district offices, military, government, and police to promptly prepare countermeasures. Especially this year, the measures were established in line with the changing situation of ‘heatwaves amid the COVID-19 crisis.’

Location map of heatwave shelter shade structures in Busan City.

This year’s heatwave countermeasures are tailored to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

First, considering the COVID-19 situation, the city will reduce the operation of existing cooling shelters and establish operational guidelines to prevent COVID-19 spread. Among the 1,285 existing cooling shelters, 912 elderly facilities and welfare centers will be closed, and only 373 community centers, health centers, financial institutions, etc., will remain open.

To fill this gap, outdoor cooling shelters such as pavilions and small neighborhood parks will be designated and operated to simultaneously promote social distancing and heatwave response.

Indoor cooling shelters in operation will be equipped with hand sanitizers, masks, and heatwave safety kits, and thorough hygiene management will be implemented according to the ‘Cooling Shelter Operation Guidelines for COVID-19 Prevention.’

Even when using shade tents, a ‘Personal Parasol Use Campaign’ will be promoted to maintain social distancing, and disaster helper services managing vulnerable groups will recommend non-face-to-face and non-contact methods, providing integrated services related to COVID-19 and heatwaves during a single visit.

Busan City will invest a total of 2.1 billion KRW in resources including resident participation budgets, special disaster safety grants, disaster management funds, and supplementary general account budgets to implement the improved measures.

Unlike previous years, which mainly focused on installing mitigation facilities, this year 620 million KRW will be allocated for hygiene and quarantine supplies to overcome COVID-19, including operating outdoor cooling shelters, supporting cooling equipment for screening clinics, and providing quarantine supplies for indoor cooling shelters.

From this year, the Korea Meteorological Administration’s heatwave warning criteria will change. Previously, the warning was based on the ‘daily maximum temperature,’ but going forward, it will be based on the ‘daily maximum apparent temperature,’ which considers both temperature and humidity.

Accordingly, the number of heatwave warning days in Busan is expected to increase by about 10 days compared to before, and the detection rate of heat-related illness deaths is expected to rise by about 17%, which is anticipated to reduce the number of deaths.

The heat-related illness surveillance system will also be improved. Unlike the previous method that only used the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s heat-related illness surveillance system, from this year, the emergency transport status of heat-related patients from the Fire and Disaster Headquarters and local government survey results will be compiled together with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s data.

This will eliminate blind spots in the existing heat-related illness surveillance system and enable prompt on-site investigations and disaster relief fund support.

A drone loudspeaker is deployed to announce the heatwave situation.

This year’s heatwave countermeasures will also incorporate 4th industrial revolution-based technologies.

From this year, Busan City will deploy drones for monitoring heat-related illnesses in rice paddies and fields. Together with the Busan Senior Employment Support Center, the city plans to use a drone safety management team to monitor workers in mountainous areas difficult to access by vehicle or in large vinyl greenhouse complexes hard to observe visually, and to promote heatwave safety rules.

This will be piloted in Gangseo-gu and Gijang-gun, where heat-related illnesses frequently occur in rice paddies and fields, and is expected to reduce heatwave blind spots.

Byun Sung-wan, Acting Mayor of Busan, said, “Since the environment is changing significantly compared to previous years, we have reexamined heatwave responses from the ground up. To overcome both heatwaves and COVID-19, we need to make more diverse efforts beyond the existing response system.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.