Heat Waves

A heat wave is a period during which the daily maximum temperature exceeds the maximum normal temperature by 5 degrees Celsius for more than five consecutive days, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). There is no consensus definition, though, and other entities define heat waves based on different thresholds.

As a direct result of global heating Global HeatingThe increase in average global temperatures, which has been primarily driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions since the start of…Read on اقرأ المزيد , which is making heat waves more extreme all over the world, heat waves are becoming more dangerous than ever, putting the livelihoods of vulnerable communities and the survival of vulnerable species at disproportionate risk.

Heat waves in the context of global heating

Heat waves are among the deadliest natural hazards. Since 2015, temperatures have been the highest on record, meaning that the planet is the warmest it has been in the last 11,000 years. Research shows that the extreme heat waves taking place in the past few years would have been almost impossible without climate change.

Impacts of heat waves on the world

The impact of heat waves depends on several characteristics, such as their frequency, intensity, and duration. In addition to causing several illnesses, they are strongly associated with higher rates of death & damage. Death and DamageCasualties and economic damages due to human made climate change. Measuring the exact deaths and damages projected per fossil fuel…Read on اقرأ المزيد  Heat waves pose a severe threat to infrastructure, crops, livestock, labor productivity, and even mental health. They also contribute to droughts DroughtAn extended period (a season or more) of deficient rainfall resulting in water shortage. Droughts are among the deadliest natural…Read on اقرأ المزيد , wildfires, and other natural disasters.

It is estimated that heat waves have cost the global economy approximately $5 trillion over the 1992-2013 period. The brunt of the cost was shouldered by developing countries, which underlines the necessity of climate justice. Climate JusticeA concept in environmental advocacy that highlights how the climate disaster disproportionately impacts vulnerable groups and nations, and calls for ensuring…Read on اقرأ المزيد

Impacts of heat waves on the MENA region

The MENA region is experiencing heating twice as fast as the rest of the world. The region is already experiencing increasingly scorching summers. In July 2023, temperatures rose to record levels, approaching or exceeding 50 °C and causing wildfires in Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan.  As a result, the 2023 Hajj (the largest in history) took place amid extreme heat, causing more than 2,000 pilgrims to suffer from heat stress. It is also estimated that the pilgrimage might become dangerous throughout the century due to the increased temperatures.

By 2100, average summer temperatures in certain parts of the region could increase by as much as 8 °C.  The Arabian Gulf could become a hotspot for deadly heat Deadly HeatAs our planet approaches the 1.5°C and 2°C thresholds, deadly heat is expected to become the new normal.  Around 30%…Read on اقرأ المزيد ,and could even become uninhabitable  under the “business-as-usual” scenario of GHG emissions Greenhouse Gas (GHG) EmissionsGases that trap infrared rays in the atmosphere, contributing to global heating. Examples include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous…Read on اقرأ المزيد . Mortality rates from heat-related causes in the MENA region could also increase from 2 people per 100,000 annually to a staggering 123 people per 100,000.