In a world where global warming is an alarming and omnipresent reality, extreme heat waves cause unprecedented devastation, endangering the health and fundamental rights of the most vulnerable populations. Let’s take a closer look at the devastating repercussions of these episodes of stifling heat on individuals and on our planet.
Scorching temperatures which regularly exceed 40°C across the world are the new face of the climatic reality we are facing. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Aprdous Hossein, aged 74, testifies to the debilitating effects of this oppressive heat. “I feel very bad this year because of the heat. I feel very sick because I’m too hot. I can’t cool down.” His moving story highlights the urgency of acting in the face of this growing threat.
According to a recent report from Climate Rights International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to monitoring and advocating for human and climate rights, extreme heatwaves pose a global human rights crisis. Indeed, both governments and businesses are failing to fulfill their obligations under international human rights law to protect citizens from rising temperatures and extreme heat events caused by climate change.
The past year has been confirmed as the hottest in history by the World Meteorological Organization. This worrying trend of steady increases in global temperatures, with the last nine years recording global averages more than 1°C above pre-industrial levels, illustrates the urgency of action to combat activity-induced global warming. human.
The heatwaves that hit Asia in April 2023 and West Africa in March and April 2024 would not have happened without human-caused climate change, according to the World Weather Attribution initiative. These tragic events have major repercussions on human rights, threatening life, health, access to food, water, education and a healthy environment for many already marginalized communities.
On the front lines of this crisis are children, the elderly, people with disabilities, outdoor workers, disadvantaged and marginalized populations. Particularly vulnerable groups, such as chronically ill people, women, migrants and people in social isolation, are at increased risk. In addition, workers exposed to excessive temperatures often find themselves victims of heat-related injuries and deaths..
Urban thermal imbalance, leading to significant temperature differences between urban neighborhoods and surrounding rural areas, further aggravates the effects of heat waves in urban areas. These alarming realities highlight the urgent need to adopt immediate and concerted measures to protect vulnerable populations and to combat climate change and its devastating consequences.
In conclusion, it is imperative that governments, businesses and society as a whole take radical action to address this major crisis and protect the human rights of the populations most at risk. Acting now is not only a matter of survival, but also a moral and ethical imperative to ensure a secure and sustainable future for all people on our planet.