The heatwave hits the most vulnerable

Translated by Maria Maddalena Zizzo

The heatwave that has hit Europe in the last few weeks, is responsible for an unprecedented health crisis: this year more than ever, victims of the heat are filling hospitals across the continent.

In Italy as well, the effects of high temperatures have been devastating: according to the general manager of the World Health Organisation (WHO) for Europe, Hans Henri P. Kluge, five deaths were registered in Italy in one day due to the heat.

In France, in some areas, emergency calls increased of 50%. Even in London last week, the highest number of emergency ambulance calls for life-threatening situations was recorded in just 24 hours. A similar scenario was recorded in Spain too.

The heatwave across Europe is perceived as the worst that has ever happened, due to the combination of heat and humidity that makes the city unliveable.

According to Kluge, data show that, in the absence of preventive measures, the number of deaths would be definitely higher. In particular, in 2023, deaths caused by heat would have been 80% higher without the preventive measures, that were already put in place, and even higher for people over 80. He claims, furthermore, that these measures, including ‘action plans for health caused by heat, early warning systems, refrigerated areas, and assistance interventions to vulnerable people are just mere bureaucratic procedures’; they have been crucial in the last few years and, for this reason, must be strengthened.

A fundamental role for prevention has to be, first of all, that to help fragile people the most: the heatwave, in fact, does not hit everyone the same way, but it is extremely dangerous, especially for vulnerable people – e.g. over 80 people, who were mentioned by the same Kluge.

But it is not just a problem of age: those who work outdoors, often performing tasks that require significant physical activity, are more exposed to the collateral effects of high temperatures.

A tragic example is that of Haddad Taher, a 55-year-old farm labourer of Moroccan nationality, who died on the afternoon of the 29^th of June near Mantua, while he was collecting watermelons for a farm. Among the hypotheses of his death there is that of a sudden illness due to high temperatures.

It is not an isolated case limited to the agricultural sector: low income families are the main victims of heatwaves, especially because lacking adequate adaptation measures.

According to Asad Rehman, chief executive officer of Friends of the Earth (an international network of environmental organisations), the abnormal heat ‘throws a grenade on each vulnerability a person has already’, highlighting how high temperatures weigh especially on social groups, who are already in need. It is thus clear, that heat increases socio-economic inequalities.

This is undeniable, especially in urban centres: it has been proven, in fact, that the presence of trees allows to reduce the perceived temperature significantly. Rehman, in particular, mentions a study, according to which the shade of trees is able to reduce the highest temperature to 19 degrees, whereas grass to 24. Nevertheless, green areas are not distributed equally in the cities: for those who live in the outskirts of big urban centres, it is hard to have access to green spaces, compared to those who live in the centre, closer to urban parks.

A study, published on Nature Communications, states that a higher number of trees planted in a neighbourhood is associated with greater prosperity in that same neighbourhood. According to Fabio Duarte, one of the authors of the research, ‘we just need to look at shaded areas to understand where rich and poor people live’. The study took into consideration various urban centres: Stockholm, Milan, Rio de Janeiro. Even in particularly green cities, such as Stockholm and Amsterdam, the difference between rich and poor neighbourhoods is significant.

During these heatwaves - which are reaching levels that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago - it is thus fundamental, as Kluge recalls, to increase prevention measures. Those must consider inequality exacerbated by heatwaves; therefore, low income families and workers who are forced to perform heavy physical labour, must be the immediate aim of these measures. Otherwise, for a man like Haddad Taher, the very right to life and health is being called into question by a system that makes the most vulnerable ones, the main victims of these extreme weather conditions.

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