UN Chief Warns of Deadly Impact of Extreme Heat on Billions

News Desk 

News York: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a pressing call to action on Thursday to better protect billions of people around the world from the severe effects of extreme heat, as global temperatures continue to rise. 

This appeal follows record-breaking temperatures and deadly heatwaves, which have claimed several hundred lives this summer across various regions, including the United States, Africa’s Sahel, Europe, and Asia.

For instance, during the Hajj, the intense heat resulted in over 1,300 pilgrim deaths. Guterres emphasized that “billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic,” with temperatures soaring above 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit), which is dangerously close to boiling.

He stressed that while extreme heat affects everyone, it does not impact all populations equally. Those most vulnerable include the urban poor, pregnant women, children, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, the sick, and displaced persons, many of whom live in inadequate housing without access to cooling.

UN data reveals that heat-related deaths among people over 65 have increased by approximately 85 percent over the past 20 years. Today, 25 percent of children experience frequent heatwaves, a figure that could reach nearly 100 percent by 2050.

To combat this crisis, Guterres called for a significant increase in access to low-carbon cooling technologies, the expansion of passive cooling solutions like natural ventilation and urban design improvements, and the enhancement of cooling technology efficiency.

He also highlighted the need for increased financial support to protect communities from climate-induced disruptions.

Additionally, Guterres stressed the importance of safeguarding workers, noting that over 70 percent of the global workforce, or 2.4 billion people, are at high risk from extreme heat. 

This risk is particularly severe in Africa and the Arab regions, where over 90% and 80 percent of workers are exposed, respectively, and in Asia and the Pacific, where three out of four workers face this threat. 

The economic cost of heat stress at work is projected to reach $2.4 trillion by 2030, up from $280 billion in the mid-1990s.

He called for measures to protect workers based on human rights principles and urged for laws and regulations to be updated and enforced to address the reality of extreme heat. 

Guterres also emphasized the need to enhance the resilience of economies and societies, citing impacts like infrastructure damage, crop failures, and increased pressure on water supplies, health systems, and electricity grids.

Cities are particularly at risk, experiencing warming at twice the global average rate. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive and tailored action plans based on scientific data for countries, cities, and sectors. Guterres urged for a collective effort to “heatproof” economies, critical sectors, and infrastructure.

He reiterated the importance of acknowledging the broad range of climate impacts beyond extreme heat, such as hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, and rising sea levels. 

The underlying issue is reliance on fossil fuels and climate inaction. Guterres called on governments, especially G20 nations, the private sector, cities, and regions to urgently adopt climate action plans to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C and to phase out fossil fuels and new coal projects.

“They must act as though our future depends on it – because it does,” he concluded.