Beating The Heat

The global climate crisis has taken the form of an immediate emergency this summer, manifesting as record-breaking heatwaves throughout the world. People are grappling with different physical problems caused by heat, from skin allergies to severe cardiovascular diseases. Scientists believe this extreme weather is being caused by El Niño, which is a periodic climate pattern due to the warming of surface waters in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This phenomenon shifts atmospheric pressures and disturbs monsoon cycles, ultimately heightening temperatures throughout the globe.

Nepal has been facing a climatic paradox. The hilly regions are constantly being greeted by unpredictable rainfall and episodes of extreme heat. These changes in weather make day-to-day functioning difficult. The Tarai region has also been a victim of extreme heatwaves. The government of Nepal has also been issuing alerts for cities such as Bhairahawa, Dhangadhi and Nepalgunj, whose temperatures are reaching blistering heights. On a bigger scale, news media report that India is also facing this paradoxical weather where the south and northeast are drenched in monsoon rain, while the north and central regions are facing an extreme heatwave, with temperatures breaching about 40 degrees Celsius. 

Such extreme heat pushes the human body past its physiological limits. When temperatures reach above 40 degrees, they exceed the baseline human body temperature of 37 degrees. This leads to mechanisms such as sweating being halted, especially when the air is humid. This triggers numerous heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Recent epidemiological data has also proved that South Asia is home to the world’s heaviest heatwave-related mortality cases, accounting for over 111,000 annual fatalities in recent decades. This number is at risk of spiking drastically during El Niño years.

In Banke, one of the hottest districts in Nepal currently, students are still studying in schools with tin roofs. Tin-roofed buildings heat up within minutes after the sun hits them, making the rooms warmer. The teachers of these schools reveal that students frequently report having headaches and feeling dizzy. Many houses in rural areas also use tin as their material for roofing, which increases the risk of people contracting heat-related diseases. These amplified heatwaves also affect outdoor labourers, construction workers, farmers, and people of socioeconomic vulnerability massively as they face economic losses. Furthermore, this climate also invites diseases like dengue as summer progresses.

Protecting oneself from this threat of extreme heat requires behavioural and lifestyle changes alongside structural awareness. At an individual level, it is important to always stay hydrated. Dehydration is a major causal factor of many illnesses. It is also significant to wear breathable clothing and avoid strenuous physical labour during the afternoons, which are peak thermal hours. However, a state-level policy shift is also required. First, early warning systems regarding the weather must be established and localised to distribute alerts to different parts of the country in a timely manner. Local hospitals should also be equipped with dedicated cooling systems, and health-related technologies must be updated promptly to avoid any mishaps owing to climate change. 

Ultimately, this escalating crisis brought by weather changes holds the power to bring structural emergencies. This heat can be beaten on both personal and policy levels. Only an integrated framework will prevent heatwaves from turning into humanitarian tragedies.