Editorial 1 : A warming Asia
Introduction: The World Meteorological Organisation’s State of the Climate Asia report came recently. The number of people impacted by “disaster” events in Asia in 2023 was lower than that in 2022.
Findings from the report
- Asia faced the most disasters in the world as 79 events associated with extreme weather, climate, and water-related hazards in 2023 affected over nine million people in the region, directly killing over 2,000 people.
- The findings for India are particularly sobering.
- Heatwaves, floods and landslides took a heavy toll on life in the country.
- The warnings issued by scientific studies for more than a decade and a half ring true — people living in coastal areas, mountainous regions, even the plains are all vulnerable to climate vagaries.
The warnings to Asian nations in the report
- Like most climate literature, the report drives home the need to keep temperature rise to levels that help avert catastrophes.
- But it’s also a warning to be prepared for receding glaciers, rising sea-levels and droughts.
- Most Asian countries do come together in global forums such as the UNFCCC, but time has come to develop mechanisms of cooperation that will enable people — and cities and towns — to be resilient against climate change.
- Natural phenomenon rarely respects national boundaries.
- And, large parts of Asia, especially South Asia, have ecological continuities that make the case for joint work on building defenses compelling.
- The Climate Asia report too should hasten such collaboration.
- “Precipitation was below normal in the Himalayas and in the Hindu Kush mountain ranges in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2023, while southwest China suffered from a drought, with below-normal precipitation levels in nearly every month of the year,” it points out.
Climate Change is derailing Asia’s stride in Renewable Energy Adoption
- Asia has energy security-related demands.
- India and China have made remarkable strides in renewable power, but the two countries have concerns.
- In 2023, drought constricted China’s energy options and a dry spell in the monsoon season forced India to step up the use of coal after reduced hydroelectricity output threatened power outages.
- Historical conflict has made energy diplomacy a high-hanging fruit for the two countries.
- The Subcontinent, too, is not close to a collaboration mechanism akin to the ASEAN.
- As the climate crisis deepens, countries in the region will need to iron out such complications.
What Asian Nations can do more to mitigate Climate-change related disasters?
Adaptation:
- Early Warning Systems: Investing in weather monitoring, early warning systems, and communication infrastructure is crucial. This allows for timely evacuation and response to extreme weather events.
- Climate-resilient infrastructure: Building seawalls, levees, and raising infrastructure in flood-prone areas can protect communities. Incorporating heat-resistant materials and sustainable building practices can also be beneficial.
- Nature-based solutions: Protecting and restoring mangroves, coral reefs, and forests plays a vital role. These ecosystems act as natural barriers against floods and storms, while also storing carbon.
- Disaster preparedness: Educating communities about disaster risks, evacuation procedures, and stockpiling essentials can save lives. Regular drills and exercises are important.
Mitigation:
- Renewable energy: Transitioning from fossil fuels to solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Energy efficiency: Investing in energy-efficient appliances, buildings, and industrial processes can significantly reduce energy consumption.
- Sustainable agriculture: Practices like crop rotation, cover crops, and reducing water usage can improve soil health and reduce emissions from agriculture.
- Sustainable forestry: Sustainable logging practices, planting trees, and reducing deforestation can help to store carbon and mitigate climate change.
Collaboration is key:
- Sharing knowledge and best practices between countries in the region is essential.
- International cooperation is crucial to secure funding and technological advancements for climate action.
Conclusion: The World Meteorological Organisation’s State of the Climate Asia report shows nature doesn't respect boundaries, which makes a case for cooperation.
Editorial 2 : Health on a hot planet
Introduction: There is scientific consensus that 2023 was the hottest year ever in the planet’s recorded history. Climate modellers forecasting the future say 2023 could be the coolest year in the memory of those born that year. As urbanisation increases, cities will grow at the expense of forests to become cauldrons of heat and humidity.
The impact of climate change on humans and the biodiversity
- The consequences of climate change, mostly mediated through global warming, adversely affect human, animal and plant health in several ways:
- Direct effects of heat exposure on the body;
- extreme weather events; water scarcity;
- vector-borne and water-borne infections;
- non-communicable diseases (strokes; heart attacks; diabetes; respiratory disease; cancers);
- mental health disorders;
- food and nutrition insecurity due to reduced yield and nutrient quality of crops.
- Health systems, too, will face increased demand due to these and the movement of displaced climate refugees.
- They will also be affected by the adverse impact of extreme weather events on healthcare infrastructure, supply chains and personnel.
Climate change will drive the heatwaves in Indian subcontinent
- Heat waves are of immediate concern as summer advances across the Indian Subcontinent.
- While heat waves are defined both in terms of absolute temperatures recorded and relative rise in comparison to seasonal, “normal” values recorded in earlier years, it is not just the temperature that matters.
- A heat wave represents a combination of heat and humidity.
- At any level of heat, its impact on human body is amplified if humidity is high in the ambient air.
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) says that such “moist heat” stress has increased by 30 per cent between 1980 and 2020.
Effect of heatwaves on human health
1. Dehydration and heatstroke
- Heat acts through dehydration, the inability of the skin to cool the body through perspiration, dilatation of blood vessels and thickening of blood with increased risk of clot formation (thrombosis).
- Often, air pollution colludes with excess heat to assault the lungs and blood vessels.
- Infants and young children are more vulnerable than adults, since their bodies have higher fluid content than grownups.
- Among adults, vulnerability is high among the elderly, persons with disabilities and in those with serious comorbidities.
- Women are more vulnerable than men.
2. Prolonged exposure can severe the non-communicable diseases
- While the progressively severe effects of heat stress (heat exhaustion, heat stroke, circulatory failure and death) are well recognised, the effect of severe or prolonged heat exposure on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is not often discussed in the public domain.
- Yet, these can severely damage health, through acute and chronic effects.
- Even as of now, NCDs contribute to 65 per cent of deaths in India — a majority of them in productive mid-life. The heat effects of climate change will only exacerbate the problem.
3. Rise in the cases of Brain strokes and heart attacks
- Heat increases the risk of brain strokes (paralytic attacks) due to thrombosis in blood vessels of the brain.
- Similarly, it can precipitate heart attacks and sudden death by triggering clot formation in the coronary arteries.
- Exercising vigorously in a hot environment can be dangerous.
- Clots formed in the leg veins can travel to the lungs suddenly causing catastrophic “pulmonary embolism”.
- By reducing the circulating blood volume, heat can damage the kidneys.
- A study of 266 studies worldwide, published in 2022, revealed that heat waves were associated with a 11.7 per cent increase in mortality.
- The highest specific risk was for stroke and coronary heart disease.
- A high risk was also reported for fatal and non-fatal cardiac arrhythmias.
- As our population ages and cardiovascular risk factors (like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity) rise in our population, every 1 degree centigrade rise in ambient temperature will compound the risk of serious cardiovascular events.
4. Threat to nutrition security
- Less immediate, but with a long-lasting impact on health, is the impact on food systems which threatens nutrition security.
- A combination of heat stress, water stress and increased carbon dioxide levels.
- Countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa currently grow staples (like rice and wheat) at the highest levels of heat tolerance.
- A further increase of 1 degree centigrade will lower their yield by 10 per cent.
- The crops will also be more deficient in zinc, protein and iron.
- The Data Sciences Centre of Columbia University has estimated that if global warming continues unabated, India of 2050 will have 49 million more zinc deficient persons and 38.2 million new protein deficient persons, while 106.1 million children and 396 million women would be iron deficient.
- Protective foods like fruit, vegetables and fish would be depleted.
- These foods reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
- Rising ocean temperatures will flood coastal agriculture while reducing fish yields.
- Loss of biodiversity will reduce access to nutritious “wild foods”.
- Heat will kill us not only through its effect on our skin but also our stomachs.
A comprehensive plan against heat stress: from mitigation to adaptation
- Even as we must try energetically to mitigate the drivers of climate change and global warming, we must prepare adaptation plans.
- These will include heat action plans designed specifically for urban and rural areas, climate smart and climate resilient food and healthcare systems, education of public and healthcare providers and anticipatory planning to meet the increased healthcare demands that heatwaves will bring in their wake.
- Heat shelters, water stations, heat reflective roofs and wall paints for housing, well-ventilated homes and an increase in green spaces must become part of urban planning.
- Personal protection too will be needed — light-coloured, loose fitting clothes, umbrellas or caps are helpful.
- The most important personal protection measure is to drink lots of water.
Conclusion: All the ways a hotter planet makes us sicker. We need a comprehensive plan not for mitigation from heat stress-induced anomalies, but for the adaptation of the adverse effects on human health and biodiversity.