Human-induced climate change has worsened the heatwave that the Philippines and other Asian countries have experienced in April, a recent study showed.
World Weather Attribution (WWA) released a report that the climate change caused by human activities has altered the intensity of the 15-day April heatwave in the country, causing temperatures to rise above 40°C.
Using climate models and observation, the research group found that the influence of human-caused climate change in extreme heat showed a strong increase in likelihood and intensity.
“In the Philippines, the change in likelihood is so large that the event (extreme heat) would have been impossible without human-caused climate change,” the research group said.
They added that the current El Niño also had an effect on the heatwave and made it 0.2°C hotter.
The heatwaves, scientists said, are likely to occur once every 10 years during El Niño and once in 20 years without its influence.
Heat-related illnesses
“Heatwaves are arguably the deadliest type of extreme weather event and while the death toll is often underreported, hundreds of deaths have been reported already in most of the affected countries, including Palestine, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Philippines,” WWA said.
As of April 29, the Department of Health has recorded a total of 77 heat-related illnesses in the Philippines, with seven people reportedly dead.
“The seven are reported deaths, but this is inconclusive to heatstroke due to insufficient data,” DOH Epidemiology Bureau head Dr. Vito Roque Jr. clarified in a Senate panel briefing.
Among the regions with the most cases recorded is the Central Visayas with 66 cases, followed by Soccsksargen with six cases, the Ilocos Region with four cases, and Calabarzon with one.
Soccsksargen reported six deaths due to the rising heat index, while Calabarzon had one death.
Among school-aged children, 67 heat-related illnesses were reported from ages 12-21 years old, affecting the Ilocos Region and Central Visayas, but recorded no deaths.
“We, the Department of Health, laud the noble intention to shift the conduct of classes to alternative delivery modes in response to extreme heat in the country and thereby mitigate the advent of heat-related illnesses,” Roque said.
School closure due to extreme heat
The extreme heat, according to WWA, has also forced school closures in South and Southeast Asia increasing dropouts and education gaps, especially for low-income families.
“These regions have previously also incurred school lockdowns during COVID-19, increasing the education gap faced by children from low-income families, enhancing the risk of dropouts, and negatively impacting the development of human capital,” the WWA said.
In the Philippines, schools have also suspended face-to-face classes due to increasing heat index, with some areas falling under the danger level.
Aside from schools, the heatwave has also impeded the livelihoods and health of some workers, including construction workers, farmers, transport drivers, and fishermen.
“The recurrent heat events and associated impacts every year in these regions in the past few years have enabled heatwaves to be recognized as a serious hazard of concern in most countries, with proper guidelines and action plans in place,” the group said. “At the same time, cross-sectoral collaborative strategies that focus on providing immediate relief during the hot days are needed.”
