Posted on 10/11/2022 6:00 am
(Image credit: AHMAD ALBASHA)
Heat waves will make entire regions of the world uninhabitable in the coming decades, the United Nations (UN) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned yesterday. In addition, the phenomenon, which will become increasingly frequent and intense, will be responsible for very high mortality rates by the end of this century, “on the order of magnitude comparable to all types of cancer”.
The poorest populations are most at risk, but the problem is global, the jointly released report warns. In almost every area where statistics are available, the document says heat waves are the deadliest climate hazard. Because there are limits beyond which humans, who are regularly exposed to extremely high temperatures and humidity, cannot survive and beyond which societies cannot adapt.
These conditions will lead to “great suffering and loss of life, population movements and deepening inequalities,” the organizations warned. In the document, they also emphasize that extreme heat is a “silent killer” whose effects will intensify, creating immense challenges for the planet’s sustainable development and creating new humanitarian needs.
“Each year, thousands of people die from heat waves, a phenomenon that is becoming more deadly as climate change worsens,” emphasize Martin Griffiths, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the IFRC.
urban centers
Regions such as the Sahel and South and Southwest Asia could be hardest hit. According to a study cited in the report, the number of poor people living in urban areas in extreme heat will increase by 700% by 2050, particularly in West Africa and Southeast Asia.
Examples from recent history illustrate the magnitude of the problem. The report recalls that heat waves have caused some of the deadliest disasters in recent memory. In 2003 they left more than 70,000 dead in Europe. A similar problem that Russia faced in 2010 killed more than 55,000 people. This year, entire regions and countries in North Africa, Australia, Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, China and the western United States experienced record temperatures.
The organizations point to the urgency of greater investment to mitigate the effects of climate change and contribute to the longterm adaptation of the most vulnerable populations. However, some available measures have limited and questionable effects. The proliferation of air conditioning, for example, is not only expensive but also consumes a lot of energy, which also contributes to climate change.