The Asia heat wave reported as of early May 2024 is causing record-breaking temperatures in large parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia. The natural disaster is threatening not only people but also pet dogs and stray dogs due to scorching heat and dry conditions.
According to a veterinary expert in India, multiple hospitalizations of pets have been recorded in recent days amid the extreme heat.
Pet Dogs and Strays at Risk
(Photo : Photo by Anoir Chafik on Unsplash)
From the suspension of in-person classes in the Philippines to the issuance of a nationwide heat wave alert in Bangladesh and a surge of power usage in Thailand, the heat wave has amplified the region's hot season, which is expected to last until the end of the month. While intense heat is common during the summer, experts are attributing the role of climate change to extreme weather events.
Amid the Asia heat wave, veterinarian Partha Das in India said that his clinic has been swamped by pet owners carrying their animal companions suffering from various heat-related symptoms like nosebleeds, severe skin rashes, and conditions leading to unconsciousness. This comes as multiple countries in South and Southeast Asia has been experiencing the heat wave over the past week.
According to recent data, rising temperatures in the context of significant warming is also increasing the likelihood of heat waves and droughts across Asia, based on the Sixth Assessment Report by the IPCC.
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Heat Wave Human Deaths
In previous studies, scientists have shown the correlation between climate change and heat waves; wherein the former is not only increasing the frequency of the latter but also its intensity and duration.
Based on related events in recent years, heat waves have been attributed to both human and animal deaths, including birds and mammals, in different parts of the world.
In North America, data shows the deaths of 1,714 people in the United States due to "heat-related" causes back in 2022. This according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which noted that older adults, very young people, and individuals with mental illness and chronic diseases are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses and deaths, resulting in heat stroke and other ailments.
In Europe, between 55,000 and 72,000 people died during heat waves in 2003, 2010, and 2022, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service, as cited by the United Nations. It can be recalled that some countries are significantly affected by the recent European heatwave, including the United Kingdom, Spain, and France.
In Africa, recent reports show that a massive heat wave struck the continent's Sahel and West Africa regions. This natural catastrophe resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people from late March to early April 2024, including in the capital city of Bamako in Mali, which recorded an unprecedented temperature of 48.5 degrees Celsius on April 3.
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