Heat Wave Disaster Risk Management Action Planning: Experience and Lessons

Heat waves are now recognized as a major cause of extreme weather-related deaths. With the current concern for global warming and Climate Change altering weather patterns, adverse Climate Change impacts will increase in frequency, severity, duration or areal extent in the future. With most weather stations still struggling to provide an adequate definition bracket for heat waves, it is difficult to assess either the past changes or probable impacts and consequences for the future. Rises in death tolls due to erratic weather conditions have been attributed to heat waves over the past few years. Heat waves have been reported as a disastrous phenomenon linked to their origin in hydro-meteorological events. Despite the increase in severity and duration of heat waves combined with other environmental interactions, countries have failed to develop proactive associated risk perceptions; preparedness and lethargic emphasis on mitigation measures have made the problem worse. Many studies have evidenced that health risks associated with exposure to excess heat increase significantly. However, heat-wave related fatalities can be prevented by establishing precautionary measures, which can be simple as planting more trees. Therefore, the purpose of a Heat Wave Action Plan (HAP) is to mitigate the adverse health impacts of excessive heat by raising public awareness and sensitizing the vulnerable groups and also to trigger preventive actions and build a strong social care system.