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UTCI - assessment measure in human bioclimatology - 10 years of application and 1st European Biometeorologist Regional Meeting

Theme

In 1999 at the ISB Congress in Sydney the Commission for developing the Universal Thermal Climate Index UTCI was established. In 2009 special COST Action 730 „Towards a universal thermal climate index UTCI for assessing the thermal environment of the human being” has successfully completed the work proposing UTCI as a new tool in biometeorological and bioclimatic research. The last 10 years has brought widespread use of UTCI in many studies and practical applications in fields related to the thermal environment of people. Thus the conference aims to discuss current achievements in human bioclimatology based on UTCI and other indices.

During 1st European Biometeorologists Regional Meeting the progress in all branches of biometeorological research (human, animal, plant) would be discussed regionally as the background to create international European research network focused on specific problems.

Topics of the Conference and 1st European Biometeorologists Regional Meeting

  • applications of UTCI in epidemiology and health research, including assessment of mortality and morbidity risks basing on UTCI and other indicators,
  • UTCI and biometeorological forecasts, including watch warning systems applied in different countries and/or different branches of human activity,
  • UTCI and tourism, including assessment measures for different kinds of tourism (urban, walking, biking, health etc.),
  • assessments of regional and local features of bioclimate, including general evaluation measures of bioclimatic conditions,
  • bioclimatic mapping, including principles of mapping bioclimate in different scales, from fine through local up to regional and global,
  • urban bioclimate, including different aspects of bioclimatic conditions in urban areas of various size and functions,  progress in animal and plant biometeorology in Europe.

The presentations from outside Europe are welcomed as well.

Round table discussions

  • While the Conference will gather UTCI practitioners from different branches of research we intend to discuss possible changes and improvements of UTCI assessment scale as well as use of UTCI in biometeorogical forecast schemes.
  • Bioclimatic and biometeorological research are carried out in many European countries. They deal with different branches of bioclimatology: human, animal and plant. Some studied problems are not only of local but also of regional scale. Thus we intend to discuss how we can establish European biometeorological research network.