Asia is warming faster than the global average, according to data from the World Meteorological Organization, and must prepare for longer, more frequent and more intense heatwaves.
A record heatwave is hitting South and Southeast Asia. In Nepal, the authorities are worried about forest fires increasing in “unimaginable proportion”.
In India, election campaigning has been disrupted by high temperatures, with the opening hours of some polling stations were extended to allow voters to travel after dark.
According to the report published on the French newspaper “Le Monde”, the consequences of these are well known, as they kill, weaken social cohesion, can destroy harvests, damage infrastructure and reduce incomes by preventing people from working.
All these effects are even more devastating for the poor and for women, although this is less well known, the report said, adding that rising temperatures increase the risk of violence, including domestic violence.
According to a study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry in June 2023 and involving 190,000 women from Pakistan, India and Nepal, shows that a one-degree rise in temperature coincides with a 6.3% increase in acts of domestic violence, due to worsening living conditions and accompanying stress.
A recent survey, published on The Guardian, said that hundreds of the world’s leading climate scientists have predicted global temperatures to rise to at least 2.5C (4.5F) above preindustrial levels this century, blasting past internationally agreed targets and causing catastrophic consequences for humanity and the planet.
