Youth-led spatio-temporal heatwave co-adaptation mapping through data-driven participatory dotmocracy approach

Heatwaves are increasingly impacting rural communities in Malaysia, with disproportionate effects on youth due to limited adaptive capacity and a lack of targeted interventions. This study presents a data-driven, participatory heatwave co-adaptation mapping initiative involving thirty Form Three students from a rural high school in Segamat, Johor. The structured, interactive workshop comprised five core activities: emoji-based reflection and gamification exercises to elicit emotional responses and visualize the climate change process; a Mini Talk with interactive materials and quizzes on local climate trends and adaptation options; and hands-on group dotmocracy mapping sessions to identify cold and thermal hotspots, assess vulnerabilities, and propose adaptation measures. Analysis of the school environment revealed a long-term warming trend, with daily Tmax increasing by 0.022 °C per year (≈ 0.22 °C per decade; t = 46.86, p < 2 × 10⁻¹⁶) from 1950 to 2022. March recorded the highest frequency of extreme heat days (> 35 °C) with 160 days (7.07% of March days), and Level 1 heatwaves (> 35 °C) occurred 46 times, lasting 3-14 days, whereas only 2 Level 2 events (> 37 °C) were observed, highlighting moderate heatwaves as the primary seasonal stressor. Peak heat occurred between 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM, coinciding with school dismissal, while shaded indoor areas maintained temperatures of 20-29 °C. Workshop areas were the hottest indoor spaces, with 66.5% of users experiencing thermal discomfort, whereas classrooms maintained comfort around 29.3 °C for 75% of students. Following the intervention, students' climate-related knowledge improved significantly. Among proposed adaptation strategies, structural and technological measures dominated (> 70%), complemented by nature-based and behavioral interventions (~ 30%), while 75% of students employed active cooling measures and 35-40% used passive or green strategies. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of participatory, multi-scalar interventions in enhancing climate literacy, emotional engagement, and adaptive capacity among rural youth, while providing actionable insights for targeted heatwave adaptation in educational settings.