Heat wave continues in Europe.
Heat wave continues in Europe.
News2News.in Explainer:These days the whole of Europe is burning with heat. Summer is at its peak. In most of the countries, the mercury has crossed 40 degrees. It is being speculated that the mercury may still go above this. Talking about the whole of Europe, about two lakh people have died. Along with this, there has also been an economic loss of more than 56 thousand crore Euros. The European Environment Agency (EEA) has given this information in a recently released report.
The EEA report states that between 1980 and 2021, about one lakh 95 thousand people have lost their lives due to extreme weather events such as floods, storms, heat and cold waves, forest fires and landslides. Only 30 percent of the economic loss of 56 thousand crore euros was insured. EEA expert Aleksandra Kejmierczak told a news agency that to avoid damage in the future, we need to prepare to deal with extreme weather events in advance, rather than reacting immediately.
dangerous heat for the elderly
According to the latest figures, heat wave is the cause of 81 percent of deaths and 15 percent of economic losses. The EEA said Europe needs to take major steps to protect its aging population, as the elderly are more vulnerable to extreme heat. According to the EEA, most national adaptation policies and health strategies consider the effects of heat on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. But less than half of these cover illnesses directly caused by heat – such as dehydration or heat stroke.
future will be dangerous
Due to climate change, the risk of drought in 2022 was increased five to six times. Forest fires have also devastated twice the area compared to recent years. If the Earth warms by 1.5 degrees Celsius, economic losses are expected to rise from the current level of €900 million annually to €2,500 million by the end of the century. In the future, if the temperature rises by two degrees or even three degrees Celsius, the damage will be more severe.
The EEA also pointed out in its report that nearly half of European cities’ schools and hospitals are in urban hot spots. About 46 percent of hospitals and 43 percent of schools are in areas where temperatures are about two degrees Celsius warmer than the regional average. The reason for which is the urban heat island effect. It absorbs more heat due to the density of buildings and infrastructure like roads. It is hotter here than in the green areas.
Germany will bring a national policy to deal with the heat
In Germany too, the heat has become a matter of concern. Health Minister Karl Lauterbach warned on 13 June that Germany was weakly prepared to face rising temperatures. He also promised to formulate a policy to deal with the situation. Lauterbach said experts would soon be consulted, so that steps could be taken this year. Lauterbach said Germany would be more severely affected by heat waves in the future because of the climate crisis. In such a situation, there is a need to learn lessons from other affected countries including France. Lauterbach pointed out that between 5,000 and 20,000 Germans die each year from heat-related causes and that such deaths are preventable. He further said that if we do not do anything, thousands of lives will be lost every year.
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french model of heat treatment
It is believed that Germany is preparing to introduce a heat protection plan based on the French model. France’s Plan Caniquele, or heatwave action plan, is a comprehensive plan that focuses on pre-emptive action rather than policies to respond to extreme weather events when they occur.
The scheme was implemented after the severe heatwave in 2003 that resulted in thousands of deaths across the country. The plan includes measures such as public awareness campaign, creating public infrastructure for cold, proper preparedness in healthcare and data monitoring.
