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
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC
Launch of the latest report of the Sudan Fact-Finding Mission.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Ukraine: ‘Relentless’ attacks rattle health system as winter approaches: WHO
Ambulances attacked, chronically ill patients lacking care and no peace in sight: for millions of Ukrainians, the run-up to another winter of war is just the latest life-or-death challenge they face, the UN health agency (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IFRC , OCHA , WHO , IOM , UNICEF
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the Geneva Press Briefing with the participation of spokespersons from IFRC, WHO, OCHA, IOM and UNICEF.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his report on Sri Lanka to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IFRC , OHCHR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the International Organization for Migration, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Health Organization, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
1
1
1
Edited News | WMO
As billions of people continue to breathe polluted air that causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths every year, UN climate experts on Friday highlighted how damaging microscopic smoke particles from wildfires play their part, travelling half-way across the world.
2
3
2
Press Conferences | WMO
Launch of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)'s Air Quality and Climate Bulletin 2024.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OHCHR
The UN disability rights committee (CRPD) presented the findings of its 33rd session on DPRK, Finland, Kiribati, Maldives and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | HRC
UN Human Rights Council President Ambassador Jürg Lauber briefs the press in Geneva ahead of the Council's 60th session.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Jeremy Laurence made the following comment on the on-going presidential election process in Cameroon at the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva.