Extreme Heat Across Asia Raises Concerns about Climate Adaptation

Jakarta –

Countries across Asia have been hit by extreme heat that has broken seasonal temperature records across the region. This raises concerns about their ability to adapt to a rapidly changing climate.

After a devastating heatwave that swept across much of the continent in April, temperatures spiked again in late May. With the highest seasonality recorded in China, Southeast Asia and elsewhere, experts warn that there could be more such events to come.

“We can’t say that this is an event that we need to adapt to, adapt and mitigate, because this kind of situation is only going to get worse as climate change progresses,” said Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist at the University of New South Wales. in Australia, quoted by Reuters.

Vietnam’s heatwave, which is expected to last until June, has forced authorities to turn off street lights and ration electricity as heavy use of air conditioners threatens to overwhelm the power grid.

Vietnam recorded its highest temperature on May 6, namely 44.1 degrees Celsius, in Thanh Hoa province, about 150 km south of Hanoi. Other provinces came close to a record the following day reaching 43.3 degrees Celsius.

Vietnam’s national weather forecast warns of a risk of fires in residential areas due to high power consumption. They also warn of health risks such as dehydration, fatigue, and heat stroke.

In China, Shanghai has experienced its hottest day in May in more than one year. A day later, the weather station in the southeastern technology manufacturing hub of Shenzhen also recorded May’s hottest temperature on record at 40.2 degrees Celsius.

India, Pakistan and Southeast Asia experienced excruciating heatwaves in April, causing widespread infrastructure damage and a spike in heat stroke cases. Bangladesh also hit its hottest temperature in 50 years, while Thailand hit a record 45 degrees Celsius.

Seasonal temperature records also continued to decline through May. Singapore was reportedly steaming as it experienced its hottest month in 40 years. April heat waves are estimated to be 30 times more likely due to climate change.

“The current temperature jump is likely due to the same factors,” said Chaya Vaddhanaphuti of Thailand’s Chiang Mai University.

India and other countries have established protocols to deal with health risks arising from extreme heat, including opening some sort of cold rooms to the public and imposing limited working hours for outdoor workers. But Vaddhanaphuti says the government needs to plan better, especially to protect more vulnerable communities.

Researchers from the University of Bristol warned in a paper published in April that areas with little prior experience of extreme heat could be most at risk. Eastern Russia and China’s capital, Beijing, and surrounding districts are the more vulnerable areas.

“But for countries like India, where humidity has pushed temperatures to unsafe levels, preparing for the worst may not be enough,” said Vikki Thompson, lead author of the paper.

“At some point we come to the limit of human ability to handle temperatures. There may come a point where no one can handle it,” he said.

As many as 2 billion people will be exposed to dangerous heat if the world stays on its current path of increasing temperatures by an average of 2.7 degrees Celsius this century. In another related study, scientists warned that India is likely to experience the worst.

(rns/afr)