From the hot plains of India to the urban jungles of China, the “Continent of Extremes” is experiencing extreme temperatures far above previous records. Rising temperatures are causing more frequent and violent heat waves, endangering millions of lives. These heat waves create not just extreme temperatures, but also considerably more than we could have predicted, such as health issues and climatic refuges, to mention a few.
Heat waves are becoming more often and record high with each passing year. According to one study published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal, heatwaves caused more than 2,617,322 deaths in Asia between 2000 and 2019 (Zhao et al., 2021).
Climate change is not discriminatory and deteriorates things for everyone, but it is especially challenging for the most vulnerable members of society: our elderly, children, and people with pre-existing health conditions are especially vulnerable to heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke, dehydration, and exacerbation of their existing conditions. Socioeconomic factors also influence who suffers the most and how. The lack of access to air conditioning, natural environments, and healthcare makes it difficult for people to deal with high temperatures.
(Created by @19mahima)
We created new jungles refraining from trees but with concrete. We created our highways, automobiles, and surroundings to make our lives easier while forgetting about our need for nature. Urban areas with their concrete landscapes and little flora, also endure greater temperatures, a phenomenon known as the urban heat island effect (US EPA, 2015). The rapid expansion has resulted in urban areas that are up to 20 degrees Celsius warmer than neighbouring suburbs and rural regions in South Asia (“NASA’s ECOSTRESS Detects ‘Heat Islands’ in Extreme Indian Heat Wave,” n.d.).
According to the World Bank, heat waves harmed over 1 billion people in India and Pakistan in 2020, highlighting the region's severe vulnerability to increasing temperatures as well as the frequency, length, and severity of extreme heat events (“Sizzling Cities,” n.d.). Furthermore, heat stress can lower workers & labour capability and productivity, particularly in low-wage outdoor and manual jobs. By 2030, wasted labour owing to increased heat and humidity might cost up to 4.5% of India's GDP, or around USD 150-250 billion (“Cooling the Heat,” n.d.).
The World Bank's new policy brief, "Urban Heat in South Asia: Integrating People and Place in Adapting to Rising Temperatures," provides a detailed review of India's urban heat crisis and its neighbouring nation (Manjunath, n.d.). The framework recommends increasing urban heat resilience through data collecting, social and geographic integration, and incorporating urban heat resilience into planning, development, and legislation.
The present heatwave underlines the need to combat climate change and strengthen resilience to future heatwaves. Individuals should prioritise drinking, limit intense activity, dress loosely, and offer assistance to vulnerable neighbours. Community activities could promote heat response tactics, provide cooling facilities, plant shade-producing trees, increase awareness about heat-related diseases, and fund renewable energy options. Governmental resources should be allocated to heatwave preparation protocols, social support networks, and renewable energy alternatives. These activities will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions while also protecting marginalised groups.
The fight against climate change is global, yet solutions often begin at the local level. By taking action in our communities and keeping our leaders responsible, we can secure Asia's overall health and prosperity.
References
Cooling the Heat: Can India Lead the World in Green Cooling Innovation [WWW Document], n.d. . World Bank. URL https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/opinion/2023/07/11/cooling-the-heat-can-india-lead-the-world-in-green-cooling-innovation (accessed 8.2.24).
Manjunath, K., Ella Jisun,Henry,Grace Honora,Jain,Monica, n.d. Urban Heat in South Asia : Integrating People and Place in Adapting to Rising Temperatures [WWW Document]. World Bank. URL https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099354204272324999/IDU02c3ecf060adc504bb90ba3003ce50762188f (accessed 8.2.24).
NASA’s ECOSTRESS Detects ‘Heat Islands’ in Extreme Indian Heat Wave [WWW Document], n.d. . Clim. Change Vital Signs Planet. URL https://climate.nasa.gov/news/3176/nasas-ecostress-detects-heat-islands-in-extreme-indian-heat-wave (accessed 8.2.24).
Sizzling Cities: Planning for urban heat resilience in South Asia [WWW Document], n.d. . World Bank Blogs. URL https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/endpovertyinsouthasia/sizzling-cities-planning-urban-heat-resilience-south-asia (accessed 8.2.24).
US EPA, O., 2015. Reduce Urban Heat Island Effect [WWW Document]. URL https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/reduce-urban-heat-island-effect (accessed 8.2.24).
Zhao, Q., Guo, Y., Ye, T., Gasparrini, A., Tong, S., Overcenco, A., Urban, A., Schneider, A., Entezari, A., Vicedo-Cabrera, A.M., Zanobetti, A., Analitis, A., Zeka, A., Tobias, A., Nunes, B., Alahmad, B., Armstrong, B., Forsberg, B., Pan, S.-C., Íñiguez, C., Ameling, C., Valencia, C.D. la C., Åström, C., Houthuijs, D., Dung, D.V., Royé, D., Indermitte, E., Lavigne, E., Mayvaneh, F., Acquaotta, F., de’Donato, F., Ruscio, F.D., Sera, F., Carrasco-Escobar, G., Kan, H., Orru, H., Kim, H., Holobaca, I.-H., Kyselý, J., Madureira, J., Schwartz, J., Jaakkola, J.J.K., Katsouyanni, K., Diaz, M.H., Ragettli, M.S., Hashizume, M., Pascal, M., Coélho, M. de S.Z.S., Ortega, N.V., Ryti, N., Scovronick, N., Michelozzi, P., Correa, P.M., Goodman, P., Saldiva, P.H.N., Abrutzky, R., Osorio, S., Rao, S., Fratianni, S., Dang, T.N., Colistro, V., Huber, V., Lee, W., Seposo, X., Honda, Y., Guo, Y.L., Bell, M.L., Li, S., 2021. Global, regional, and national burden of mortality associated with non-optimal ambient temperatures from 2000 to 2019: a three-stage modelling study. Lancet Planet. Health 5, e415–e425. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00081-4