O PROCESSO DE URBANIZAÇÃO E O CONFORTO TÉRMICO EM VITÓRIA, ES, NO PERÍODO DE 1931 A 2010

Abstract

Cities growth and population occupation process modify the thermal and hydrological properties of the surface, creating an environment with its own characteristics, thus forming a unique climate. Man is in constant heat exchange with the environment and working to control their thermal variations, therefore their thermal comfort is directly connected to the climate of the environment in which they live, thus suffering the repercussions of urbanization. This research aims to show the impact on the thermal comfort of the population of the city of Vitória/ES, in the period from 1931 to 2010, triggered by the urbanization process of the city. The Thom Thermal Discomfort Index (IDT), the Temperature and Humidity Index (ITU) and the Effective Temperature Index (TE) were used for such analysis, calculated from climatological normal air temperature and relative humidity data extracted from the database of the National Meteorological Institute (INMET) for the period in question. Both air temperature and index values indicated a gradual heating up in Vitória. The thermal sensation of the population of Vitória increased in the three indices by up to 0.84 ° C in each 30-years period analyzed, which is above the increase foreseen by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of up to 0.7°C in the global average of temperature caused by anthropogenic factors and natural climatic variability, highlighting the implications of urban growth.