**5. Conclusions**

The information gathered in this study provides not only insight into the historical, current, and future changes in temperature and heat in Trinidad, but also the areas and regions most at risk. This study has highlighted a few key facts that require serious consideration. These are as follows:


Looking forward, urban planning and design in Trinidad needs to be modified and adjusted in order to reduce expected heat-related climatic impacts within the most populated regions of Trinidad, which also coincide with the regions projected to be most impacted by heat. It is important that already-existing green spaces within these highly urbanized regions, such as Port of Spain and Diego Martin, are not removed, as this would exacerbate increases in temperatures and heat-related health risks to the people that work and reside in those areas. These green spaces serve to increase shadow effects and evaporative cooling, thus reducing heat accumulation. It is also important that the adaptive capacity and resilience be strengthened within these regions.

Unregulated urban development within vulnerable regions of west and southwest Trinidad should be carefully and thoughtfully rendered or ceased altogether in order to prevent large portions of the population of Trinidad being situated in regions where they would be prone to health risks due to heat-related impacts. At present, Trinidad is at a point where positive change can be enacted at an early stage to reduce future impacts on the multiple facets of life and various sectors already affected by increased heat.

This study provides detailed knowledge and insight into urban vulnerability to heat-related climate risks. This can allow for other scientists, policymakers, planners, and governing bodies to have a more comprehensive understanding of the urban thermal environment within small island developing states (SIDS). It also highlights the conditions that can aid in adaptation and mitigation, creating greater awareness and thereby informing the planning process regarding heat-related impacts within Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean region.

**Author Contributions:** Each author contributed to the conception and design of the research. K.K.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal Analysis, Writing—Original Draft Preparation, Data Curation. R.A.: Writing—Original Draft Preparation, Review and Editing. V.T.:

Writing—Original Draft Preparation, Methodology, Validation, Formal Analysis, Supervision. A.M. (Azad Mohammed): Conceptualization, Writing—Original Draft Preparation, Review and Editing, Supervision. A.A.: Writing—Original Draft Preparation. A.M. (Aashrita Mohess): Writing—Original Draft Preparation. A.M. (Anand Mahabir): Writing—Original Draft Preparation. Professor J.A.: Conceptualization, Software, Writing—Original Draft Preparation, Review and Editing, Supervision. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Data Availability Statement:**The data used in this study was obtained upon request from the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Office.

**Acknowledgments:** The authors wish to thank The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Department of Life Sciences, for research and technical support. The authors thank Hamish Asmath for technical support. We thank the Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Office for sharing data.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare there is no conflict of interest.
