Thermal comfort and heat stress assessment for the torch relay around Taiwan and the delayed 2021 National Intercollegiate Athletic Games

Sport has been such a popular issue that draws public concerns regarding the health and the better living quality for many years all over the world. With the unavoidable impacts from global warming and exacerbated extreme weather events, the tougher outdoor thermal condition and the arising heat stress risk were no doubt becoming essential tasks especially for outdoor sport events where many staffs, volunteers, athletes and audiences gathered at an open outdoor venue at the same period of time. For better understanding the thermal environment and thermal comfort especially for outdoor sports, 2021 National Intercollegiate Athletic Games held at Tainan, souther Taiwan, has been selected as the research target. And with the concerns related to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Game has been delayed from May to October, 2021. In this assessment, both Taiwan Climate Change Projection Information and Adaptation Knowledge Platform (TCCIP) Taiwan ReAnalysis Downscaling data (TReAD), and on site real-time environmental monitoring data (Temperature, Relative Humidity, Wind Speed, PM_2.5, Sky View Factor), were applied in estimating mPET (modified Physiologically Equivalent Temperature) and WBGT (Wet-bulb Globe Temperature) for members participating the torch relay around Taiwan in April, and the delayed Game in October. In this study, we also collected questionnaires from the staffs, volunteers, athletes and audiences participating the Game for detailed analysis the connection between the environmental condition and physical sensation. The influences of the built environment and the strategies for heat mitigation are also discussed in this study.

Keywords: 2021 Taiwan National Intercollegiate Athletic Games; Thermal Comfort; RayMan Pro; TReAD; mPET; WBGT; Thermal Risk Assessment; Hot-Humid Climate.