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Abstract: Gas emission during combustion of mixed tropical wood, bamboo, oil palm trunk, acacia, and rubber wood have been investigated by using TG–MS in presence of oxygen as well as FTIR. The weight decreasing profiles and the gas formation rates of oil palm trunk was significantly different among the samples although their elemental composition was almost the same from biomass samples. It was found that H2O is the main product formed for all samples. The evolving rates of the gaseous products during the combustion and infrared spectrums such as CO, H2O, CO2, CH4 and COOH+ were found. The DTG curves spectrums for biomass present four overlapping peaks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights • The methodological caveats of OTC studies are addressed. • A holistic approach for future OTC assessment is proposed. • OTC levels are indicators to measure the sustainable liveability of contemporary cities. • Multifactorial studies on ethnic disparities, adaptive thermal behaviour and health implications related to OTC in tropical SEA are needed. Abstract Global climate change, rapid urbanization and population explosion in major cities of Southeast Asia (SEA) are negatively impacting the well-being and liveability of the public in terms of deteriorating outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) levels. However, the available scholarly studies on OTC in the tropical region are insufficient. There is great potential for OTC studies to be used as indicators to measure the sustainable liveability of contemporary cities. As such, there is an immense need for more studies to be conducted in the tropical regions. However, the assessment approaches undertaken in the last decades clearly indicate that there is a need for improvisation. By considering this, this paper provides an overview of published studies that evaluated thermal comfort conditions in the outdoor setting in the tropical context of SEA. Methodological discrepancies and shortcomings are highlighted and discussed to propose a holistic approach for future OTC studies in SEA. The implementation of the proposed holistic approach in the upcoming studies will be beneficial for the improved reliability and integration of findings from studies conducted in various outdoor settings and localities within SEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]