Beware, the heat is on

As Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean brace for the annual Atlantic hurricane season, a scientist based at the University of the West Indies, Mona campus is calling for a rethink in terms of how the region prepares for the devastating impacts of climate on health, agriculture and the availability of potable water, among other issues.

The hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30, is when tropical or sub-tropical cyclones are most likely to form in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Addressing yesterday’s opening session of the Wet/Hurricane Season Caribbean Climate Outlook at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, Dr Jayaka Campbell, lecturer/Undergraduate co-ordinator in the Department of Physics in the Faculty of Science and Technology, called for policies to address the inequities among the people affected heatwaves impacting Jamaica.

“When we think about the impact of climate, we need to think about those who have the resources and those who do not. Think about the homeless, the needy, the young and the infirmed," Campbell said. "We now need to start looking at whether it is more likely in the summer months for the elderly to die of heat stress, stroke or other heat-related illnesses. Should we be developing a tiered warning system with clearly delineated things that must be done and things that can’t happen, so that if, for example, the alert goes to red, then we can’t have outdoor activities.”

Campbell told The Gleaner that his intention was not to scare people but, rather, to raise awareness around the serious risks faced by people going about their normal everyday activities, as a direct result of the sustained heat.

“In the region, we tend to think that we just hot and, if you look back through our records, how many heatwaves have been noted? How many temperature extremes would have been noted? We largely lead ourselves to thinking that we just hot, but the heat presents and, usually, by the time you start taking note of the heat exhaustion, it’s already too late,” he warned.

He said Caribbean people need to awaken to the reality that, across the entire region, the extreme and devastating climate changes are heralding a new climate region and things are not the same anymore as some countries, such as Grenada, have experienced a 400 per cent increase in consecutive dry days. In fact, in some places, nighttime temperatures are exceeding the rate of the daytime temperature warming, which has led to the realisation that the diurnal temperature variation (the variation between a high air temperature and a low temperature that occurs during the same day) is shrinking.

Campbell is convinced that, given the way the daily activities of Caribbean people are centred around weather, it is time for policymakers to start monitoring and take seriously the information contained in the weather advisories issued by national and regional agencies and incorporate it into their long-term planning.

“We need to get to that point where the advisories mean something. Whatever affects crops and livestock affects food security and nutrition [which] therefore affects every aspect of the economy. So it’s hard for me to think about the water sector as separate from health or agriculture. I have to think about them in a connected sense because water is life. Without health we can’t do anything and without energy we are stuck. We plant around climate, we plan carnival around climate, our schools' holidays and our vacations are impacted, so most of what we can do is tied to climate.”

MENTAL HEALTH RAMIFICATIONS

Given the cross-cutting implications and far-reaching multiplier effects of climate, the entire population could be at serious risk and so there has to be a collective effort, given also the serious mental health ramifications.

According to Campbell, too often policymakers and relief agencies, in providing assistance to people affected by extreme weather conditions or other disasters, are blind to the emotional and mental suffering of those for whom they are providing much-needed assistance.

“If somebody’s house gets devastated by a storm, then there has to be some immediate intervention to help them financially and, with clothing, food and the like to address their immediate needs. However, very often they are also suffering mentally but can’t articulate that and this cannot be seen as a burnt arm or a broken leg [which] would be easily visible," he said.

"The next time they hear the word hurricane or the season comes around, they might encounter an anxiety attack and people looking on, even close relatives, can’t understand why this is happening.

“There is telling information within the region about how to move forward but the challenge is to communicate it to the people who need most to know, without scaring them, and we need to start the long-term planning now."

christopher.serju@gleanerjm.com