Global warming and klima pagbabago has led to record heatwaves in the UK posing significant health risks especially to elderly and people with chronic diseases. As a result, heatwave excess mortality has risen. Indoor overheating has become an important problem for both healthcare and housing services making installation of air conditioners and redesigning of indoor living environment an imperative.
On 19 July 2022, the temperature in Coningsby situated in Lincolnshire County of England reached as high as 40.3°C. A milestone in UK klima history, this was the first time in the UK na ang temperaturang 40°C ay naitala. Bago ito, ang pinakamataas na temperaturang naobserbahan ay 38.7°C na naitala noong Hulyo 25, 2019 sa Cambridge1.
Ang tag-init heatwaves in the UK have been worsening over the years. The heatwave of 2018 was the longest in the recent past. In the last three decades the highest temperature has steadily risen by over 3°C from 37.1°C highest recorded on 03 August 1990 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire to 40.3°C recorded on 19 July 2022 in Lincolnshire.
klima modelling indicates that temperature in the UK should not reach 40°C if the klima were unaffected by human influence1. However, although mainstream British media did not usually link klima pagbabago as the key underlying cause behind the heatwave2, rapid warming of the global klima mainly as a result of high carbon emissions is a stark reality. If the high carbon emission remains unabated, the frequency of occurrence of 40°C plus would increase. Reducing carbon emissions would only reduce this frequency but extreme summer heat conditions will remain frequent1. Ito ay may malawak na implikasyon sa lipunan kabilang ang kalusugan ng tao.
Rising temperatures and warmer years have seen an increase in heat-related mortality over the years. In 2020, estimated heatwave excess mortality in England was 2556 which was highest since 2004 when Heatwave Plan for England was introduced3. Ang mga matatanda at ang mga may malalang sakit na karamihan ay nakatira sa loob ng bahay na walang air conditioner ay nalantad sa mas mataas na panganib sa kalusugan na nauugnay sa init. Ang mga serbisyong pangkalusugan (health services o NHS) ay hindi rin kayang harapin ang heatwave at panatilihing mababa sa 26°C ang temperatura sa paligid ng ospital.4. Sa isip, ang mga ospital at nursing/care home ay mangangailangan ng pag-install ng mga air conditioner sa malapit na hinaharap.
An average UK dwelling unit has seen much improvement over the years in terms of building insulation to reduce emissions. However, in the current and projected klima scenario, the efficient building insulation would also contribute in overheating of indoor environments in summers. In fact, simulation studies5 nagpapakita ng napakalaking pagtaas ng overheating pagsapit ng 2080s na ginagawang kailangan ang unti-unting muling pagdidisenyo ng mga serbisyo sa pabahay at kalusugan.
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Sanggunian:
- Met Office 2022. Isang milestone sa kasaysayan ng klima sa UK, Na-post noong Hul 22, 2022. Available online sa https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2022/july-heat-review
- Batziou A., 2021. Pagbabago sa Klima and the Heatwave: Searching for the link in the British Press. Pages 681-701 | Published online: 05 May 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1808515
- Thompson R., 2022. Heatwave Mortality sa Summer 2020 sa England: Isang Observational Study. Int. J. Kapaligiran. Res. Pampublikong Kalusugan 2022, 19(10), 6123; Nai-publish: 18 Mayo 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106123
- Stokel-Walker C., 2022. Bakit nahihirapan ang mga ospital ng NHS na pangasiwaan ang mga heatwave? BMJ 2022; 378. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.o1772 (Na-publish noong Hulyo 15, 2022)
- Wright A. and Venskunas E., 2022. Effects of Future Pagbabago sa Klima and Adaptation Measures on Summer Comfort of Modern Homes across the Regions of the UK. Energies 2022, 15(2), 512; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/en15020512
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