As official copyeditor to the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre (2016–present), I edited this flagship report, jointly published by the IFRC and the Climate Centre.
According to the authors, extreme heat is a persistent and growing threat around the world. Every nudge up in global warming increases the frequency, intensity and duration of heatwaves. This has devastating consequences, ranging from physical and mental health impacts to disruptions to critical systems – and even heightened conflict.
Despite its wide-reaching and potentially deadly impacts, the authors state that heat remains under-recognised in policy, under-prioritised in adaptation planning and under-resourced in local implementation. This report, with insights from across the IFRC network, highlights the experiences of those who are most exposed, least heard and hardest hit, and sets out what can be done to mitigate the effects of heat.
