Heat waves are also a social problem

Rising temperatures are usually related to environmental issues. However, the social repercussions are also numerous and heavy: how can we mitigate the effect of heat on the most fragile?

By Chiara Lodi Rizzini, Pathways to Second Welfare

Heat waves are now a regular occurrence in our country and around the world: in the last two years, our continent has continuously recorded record temperatures. The consequences of heat peaks are numerous and of various kinds. The environmental issue is obviously fundamental, but this condition also profoundly affects – for example – the way we live and work. Therefore, the social consequences of heatwaves, especially for certain groups of people, are also complex and very significant.

Heat waves: the social consequences for the most vulnerable

Heat waves are an increasingly frequent, intense and long-lasting phenomenon. In the United States alone, it is estimated that the average number rose from 2 waves in the decade 1960–1970 to 6 in the decade 2010–2020 and that the “wave season” lasts 49 days longer than in 1960. If the average heat wave in Italy was 13 days in 2023, it could double to 61 days in 2080, becoming the de facto summer norm.

The waves produce consequences on many fronts. For example, they lead to droughts, agricultural losses and energy crises, and increase the risk of fires and mortality. According to a study published in Nature in the summer of 2022, the hottest ever recorded in Europe, there were 61,672 heat-related deaths. Italy has both the highest number of deaths (18,010) and the highest mortality rate (295 deaths per million population). The figure is, of course, affected by the average age of the population-the elderly, from our large numbers, are among the most vulnerable-but it is clear that the phenomenon is a very serious problem for our future. In addition to the elderly, the most fragile individuals are children, both for physiological reasons and because they are not yet able to practice behaviors to self-protect against heat. Unicef estimates that children in Europe and Central Asia will be exposed to increasingly frequent heat waves by 2050 (4.5 waves or more per year); 81 percent will be exposed to long-duration waves (4.7 days or more) while 28 percent will be exposed to high intensity waves (2 degrees or more above the local average).

Another particularly exposed category is that of workers in certain occupational sectors, such as workers engaged in heat-producing production activities, or outdoors, or who wear heavy protective clothing/equipment: above 38 degrees Celsius, the risk of injury rises by 10–15% (ETUI 2022). Finally, if the poorer population is generally more vulnerable – because, for example, they live in overcrowded housing, often more exposed to the sun and without air conditioning – it is the homeless who are the most exposed. Not only because they have no shelter, but also because they cannot hydrate, feed and treat themselves. Just to say, in the city of Phoenix-one of the hottest cities in the U.S.- in 2022 more than half of all heat-related deaths were homeless (Yale Climate Connections). In spite of the habit of thinking about the problem of cold weather for those who have no home to shelter in, we must therefore also begin to consider the opposite event.

How can we mitigate the impact?

Without going into the merits of the actions that can counteract the rise in temperatures, how can we act to mitigate the consequences?

First of all, by protecting those who are most vulnerable. In fact, heat puts additional stress on the body, amplifying the negative effects of health problems, mental health issues, addictions and disabilities. Equipping people who suffer from it with tools to alleviate its impact is therefore essential, for example by ensuring access to medical care, medicines and food. A key route in this regard is that of neighbourhood networks, which can act as a social stronghold for dealing with practicalities and errands, distributing provisions and maintaining relations between people. A number of studies that have begun to investigate the impact of these measures confirm that projects that tackle isolation are effective and inexpensive in reducing mortality rates, for example, among the elderly.

A key issue is then to redesign urban spaces by providing them with green areas and plants, in order to combat so-called heat islands, areas where the average temperature reaches particularly high peaks. According to a study published in The Lancet, assuming 30 percent tree coverage of the urban area, the number of heat-related deaths would drop by more than a third. Homes can also be protected from the heat either by using specific materials for new construction or by increasing green backyard areas or the use of curtains for existing homes. Then there is the labor game, which in the summer season, or at least during heat peaks, should be reorganized in terms of shifts, workplace suitability, personal protective equipment and protective clothing, so as to limit workers’ exposure.

Finally, there is a need to promote greater public awareness on how to behave, for example, through education and training programmes aimed at workers in at-risk sectors or those who care for vulnerable people, such as teachers and caregivers, so that everyone can protect themselves from the risk.