The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Worsening air quality through heatwaves - WMO
Climate change is having a measurable impact on air quality and therefore human health, meaning the two must be tackled together, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday.
“This record-breaking summer sets the scene for the fact that we are seeing more extreme heat, we are seeing more heatwaves. This does have an impact on human health and on air quality,” said Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson, at a press conference at the United Nations in Geneva.
The 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin noted that high temperatures are not only a hazard by themselves, but they also trigger damaging pollution.
“The coincidence of high temperature and high levels of particulate matter, such as from forest fires or desert dusts, poses a dangerous health risk for large parts of the population in the world,” stressed Lorenzo Labrador, WMO scientific officer.
Echoing that message, Ms. Nullis noted that global sea surface temperatures were “unprecedented” while Antarctic sea ice was “unprecedentedly low for this time of year”.
In addition, August was the hottest on record “by a big margin. It’s the second hottest month ever and this follows July 2023 which was the hottest month on record.”
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves. Smoke from wildfires contain chemicals that affect not only air quality and health, but also damage plants, ecosystems and crops.
“The lengthy heatwave in September of 2022 over the northwestern United States, which correlated with large wildfires and a significant degradation in air quality over the region,” said Mr. Labrador.
He added that “during July 2022, a heatwave was observed across Europe, where hundreds of air quality monitoring sites exceeded the World Health Organization ozone air quality guide lined level of a hundred milligrams per meter cube for an eight-hour exposure.”
WMO pointed out in their report that people who live and work in cities experience the most intense conditions when it comes to heat since they are surrounded by tall buildings.
“Air quality and climate change should be studied not as separate subjects but should be studied together”, according to WMO’s Mr. Labrador. “They are inseparable in the sense that many of the gases that are responsible for climate change are also emitted by the same sources that cause air pollution. Furthermore, there is an intricate link in the set of chemical reactions whereby atmospheric pollutants are produced in part from global greenhouse gases.”
WMO released its report ahead of Thursday’s International Day of Clean Air for blue skies.
-ends-
STORY: Worsening air quality through heatwaves - WMO
DURATION (TRT): 2:24"
SOURCE: UNTV CH
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16/9
DATELINE: 6 September 2023, GENEVA SWITZERLAND
FORMAT: HYBRID PRESS BRIEFING
- Exterior medium shot: UN flag alley, UN Geneva
- Wide shot: speakers behind podium, attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson: “Global sea surface temperatures are unprecedented. Antarctic sea ice is unprecedentedly low for this time of year and it was the hottest August on record by a big margin. It’s the second hottest month ever and this follows July 2023 which was the hottest month on record.”
- Medium shot: attendees at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Clare Nullis, WMO spokesperson: “This record breaking summer sets the scene for the fact that we are seeing more extreme heat, we are seeing more heatwaves. This does have an impact on human health and on air quality.”
- Wide shot: speakers behind podium, attendees at the press conference, screens with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Lorenzo Labrador, WMO scientific officer: “The coincidence of high temperature and high levels of particulate matter, such as from forest fires or desert dusts, poses a dangerous health risk for large parts of the population in the world.”
- Wide shot: attendees, cameramen/women and sound engineers at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Lorenzo Labrador, WMO scientific officer: “The lengthy heatwave in September of 2022 over the northwestern United States, which correlated with large wildfires and a significant degradation in air quality over the region.”
- Close shot: attendee taking notes at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Lorenzo Labrador, WMO scientific officer: “During July 2022, a heatwave was observed across Europe, where hundreds of air quality monitoring sites exceeded the World Health Organization ozone air quality guidelined level of a hundred milligrams per meter cube for an eight hour exposure.”
- Medium shot: attendees and cameraman at the press conference, screens with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Lorenzo Labrador, WMO scientific officer: “Air quality and climate change should be studied not as separate subjects but should be studied together. They are inseparable in the sense that many of the gases that are responsible for climate change are also emitted by the same sources that cause air pollution. Furthermore, there is an intricate link in the set of chemical reactions whereby atmospheric pollutants are produced in part from global greenhouse gases.”
- Medium shot: speakers behind podium at the press conference
- Close shot: attendee taking notes at the press conference
- Close shot: camerawoman and sound engineer at the press conference
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , HRC
Volker Türk, the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, made the following remarks during a briefing to a Special Session on Iran at the Human Rights Council.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , UNOPS , UNIS
Amid the launch of President Trump's Board of Peace and reconstruction talks on Gaza, UN aid agencies insisted on Friday that what Gazans need most is immediate relief from the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe there.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IFRC , IOM , UNOPS , UNRWA , WHO
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by the representatives and spokespersons the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the United Nations Office for Project Services, the UN International Organization for Migration, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
2
6
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | HRC
At UN, war crimes probe pledges to continue to work for all impacted by Hamas-Israel conflict
As President Trump launched the international Board of Peace plan for Gaza on Thursday, top independent rights experts tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with investigating grave abuses linked to the Hamas-Israel war pledged to continue their work seeking justice and accountability for all.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk was outraged by the repeated large-scale attacks by the Russian Federation on energy infrastructure in Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN warns against repeating abuses in South Kordofan that occurred in El Fasher.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
Mozambique floods heighten disease, malnutrition risks – UN agencies
Catastrophic flooding in Mozambique is causing massive disruption to lives and livelihoods across the country, increasing the risk of disease and exposing urban areas to crocodiles, UN humanitarians warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OCHA , OHCHR , UNCTAD , UNICEF , UNECE
Rolando Gómez, Chief of Press and External Relations Section, United Nations Information Service (UNIS) at Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the United Nations Trade and Development.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | OCHA
Yemen: Children are dying and it’s going to get worse, aid veteran warns
In Yemen, renewed political instability threatens and economic woes linked to the war to complicate the already difficult task of helping vulnerable people suffering from deepening hunger, illness and displacement, the UN's top aid official there said on Monday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , IFRC
Ukraine: Families in ‘survival mode’ amid Russian strikes and -18°C cold
Families across Ukraine are in “constant survival mode” amid ongoing waves of Russian missile and drone strikes that have left blocks without power for days at a time, while temperatures plunge to a deadly -18°C (-0.4°F), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC , UNICEF , IFRC , WFP , WHO , UNHCR
Rolando Gómez, Chief of Press and External Relations Section, UN Information Service at Geneva (UNIS), chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Federation of the Red Cross, the World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press conference in Geneva, UN Human Rights Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence urges Iranian authorities to end violent repression and calls for accountability.