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Preventing heat-related deaths : the urgent need for a global early warning system for heat

Brimicombe, Chloe ; Runkle, Jennifer D ; Tuholske, Cascade ; Domeisen, Daniela I.V. ; Gao, Chuansi LU ; Toftum, Jørn and Otto, Ilona M. (2024) In PLOS Climate 3(7).
Abstract
Heatwaves are the deadliest weather hazard and people and societies across the world continue to suffer from heat-related impacts. Future climate projections show a troubling increase in cross-sectoral impacts including health and economic risk presented by heatwaves. Many weather hazards such as floods and droughts already have a type of Early Warning System (EWS) or Global Alert System, but a global heat early warning system currently does not exist. An accurate heat EWS can save lives and can promote heat adaptation across society. Here, we (1) explore the history of Early Warning Systems as framed using the Disaster Risk Reduction paradigms and (2) identify potential barriers to an integrated Global Heat Early Warning system. Finally,... (More)
Heatwaves are the deadliest weather hazard and people and societies across the world continue to suffer from heat-related impacts. Future climate projections show a troubling increase in cross-sectoral impacts including health and economic risk presented by heatwaves. Many weather hazards such as floods and droughts already have a type of Early Warning System (EWS) or Global Alert System, but a global heat early warning system currently does not exist. An accurate heat EWS can save lives and can promote heat adaptation across society. Here, we (1) explore the history of Early Warning Systems as framed using the Disaster Risk Reduction paradigms and (2) identify potential barriers to an integrated Global Heat Early Warning system. Finally, we discuss what we have learned from history and the identified current barriers and outline a vision of a Global Heat Early Warning system around four key themes, incorporating systems for low-, middle-, and high-income countries and requiring cross-sectoral, cross-government, and interdisciplinary collaboration. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
PLOS Climate
volume
3
issue
7
article number
e0000437
pages
15 pages
publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85206112891
ISSN
2767-3200
DOI
10.1371/journal.pclm.0000437
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1a6a8b65-e567-4af6-a550-24295b81654a
date added to LUP
2024-10-19 22:12:52
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:49:38
@misc{1a6a8b65-e567-4af6-a550-24295b81654a,
  abstract     = {{Heatwaves are the deadliest weather hazard and people and societies across the world continue to suffer from heat-related impacts. Future climate projections show a troubling increase in cross-sectoral impacts including health and economic risk presented by heatwaves. Many weather hazards such as floods and droughts already have a type of Early Warning System (EWS) or Global Alert System, but a global heat early warning system currently does not exist. An accurate heat EWS can save lives and can promote heat adaptation across society. Here, we (1) explore the history of Early Warning Systems as framed using the Disaster Risk Reduction paradigms and (2) identify potential barriers to an integrated Global Heat Early Warning system. Finally, we discuss what we have learned from history and the identified current barriers and outline a vision of a Global Heat Early Warning system around four key themes, incorporating systems for low-, middle-, and high-income countries and requiring cross-sectoral, cross-government, and interdisciplinary collaboration.}},
  author       = {{Brimicombe, Chloe and Runkle, Jennifer D and Tuholske, Cascade and Domeisen, Daniela I.V. and Gao, Chuansi and Toftum, Jørn and Otto, Ilona M.}},
  issn         = {{2767-3200}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Review}},
  number       = {{7}},
  publisher    = {{Public Library of Science (PLoS)}},
  series       = {{PLOS Climate}},
  title        = {{Preventing heat-related deaths : the urgent need for a global early warning system for heat}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000437}},
  doi          = {{10.1371/journal.pclm.0000437}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}