Managing heat wave

A more organised effort may be needed to reach out to vulnerable groups, mostly the elderly, the malnourished children and manual labourers

People of Dhaka continue to suffer as the sun unmercifully sends down scorching rays day after day. The sweltering heat wave shows no sign of ending and is stifling the city life. Also many people are getting ill. It should be remembered that heat waves can be especially harsh on people with pre-existing health conditions, such as heart disease and dehydration. People whose health is endangered during heat waves not only suffer from heatstroke or heat rash. In fact, chances of heart attacks, kidney failure, dehydration or other medical conditions are also exacerbated by the heat.
Taking basic precautions during heat wave conditions — keeping away from the sun and drinking water or liquids like coconut water — and ORS treatment in the event of a crisis, would help. But a more organised effort may be needed to reach out to vulnerable groups, mostly the elderly, the malnourished children and manual labourers.
Unfortunately Bangla­desh does not have heat wave action plan (HWAP), or a system of protocols and procedures to initiate administrative action in the event of a heat wave as well as to facilitate long-term planning. Though HWAPs vary according to local conditions, they focus on three aspects: building public awareness and community outreach, initiating early warning systems and training healthcare workers to deal with emergencies.
In Bangladesh the Met office releases advance data on weather, but in the absence of an action plan, the import of the data is lost.
Public announcements must be made on radio, TV, newspapers and social networking sites as soon as the Met department predicts the onset of a heat wave. Police patrols and hospitals must be put on alert to handle emergencies. Long-term planning aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change by building green belts, better designed buildings and transport policies should be worked on. In the interim, high risk areas should be mapped and monitored, and uninterrupted power and water provided to sensitive zones like hospitals.
Progress in reducing the amount of carbon pumped into the atmosphere, remains painfully slow worldwide. An agreement reached at the United Nations’ climate conference in Paris last December comes into effect only in 2020. With the threat of more frequent heat waves as a result of climate change, the authorities in Bangladesh must recognise rising temperatures as a natural disaster, just like floods or earthquakes, and have a strategy to protect vulnerable people.

Managing heat wave

A more organised effort may be needed to reach out to vulnerable groups, mostly the elderly, the malnourished children and manual labourers

People of Dhaka continue to suffer as the sun unmercifully sends down scorching rays day after day. The sweltering heat wave shows no sign of ending and is stifling the city life. Also many people are getting ill. It should be remembered that heat waves can be especially harsh on people with pre-existing health conditions, such as heart disease and dehydration. People whose health is endangered during heat waves not only suffer from heatstroke or heat rash. In fact, chances of heart attacks, kidney failure, dehydration or other medical conditions are also exacerbated by the heat. Taking basic precautions during heat wave conditions keeping away from the sun and drinking water or liquids like coconut water and ORS treatment in the event of a crisis, would help. But a more organised effort may be needed to reach out to vulnerable groups, mostly the elderly, the malnourished children and manual labourers. Unfortunately Bangladesh does not have heat wave action plan (HWAP), or a system of protocols and procedures to initiate administrative action in the event of a heat wave as well as to facilitate long-term planning. Though HWAPs vary according to local conditions, they focus on three aspects: building public awareness and community outreach, initiating early warning systems and training healthcare workers to deal with emergencies. In Bangladesh the Met office releases advance data on weather, but in the absence of an action plan, the import of the data is lost. Public announcements must be made on radio, TV, newspapers and social networking sites as soon as the Met department predicts the onset of a heat wave. Police patrols and hospitals must be put on alert to handle emergencies. Long-term planning aimed at mitigating the impact of climate change by building green belts, better designed buildings and transport policies should be worked on. In the interim, high risk areas should be mapped and monitored, and uninterrupted power and water provided to sensitive zones like hospitals. Progress in reducing the amount of carbon pumped into the atmosphere, remains painfully slow worldwide. An agreement reached at the United Nations climate conference in Paris last December comes into effect only in 2020. With the threat of more frequent heat waves as a result of climate change, the authorities in Bangladesh must recognise rising temperatures as a natural disaster, just like floods or earthquakes, and have a strategy to protect vulnerable people.