Extreme heat summit to urge leaders to act on threat from rising temperatures

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🗞️ Driving the news: The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAid) are hosting the first global summit on extreme heat to urge action against the rising threat of heat-related disasters 
• The summit aims to highlight innovative solutions like tree-planting and reflective roof coatings to combat heat and encourage the development of heat action plans

🔭 The context: After a year of record-breaking temperatures affecting half the global population, the summit seeks to address the underreported yet increasing threat of extreme heat, which is exacerbated by climate change 
• Heatwaves, unlike more visually dramatic disasters, are a silent killer, often overlooked despite their devastating impacts

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The summit emphasizes the urgent need for improved disaster preparedness and response to extreme heat, which disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations in hotter, less affluent countries 
• Innovative local solutions, like those in Freetown, Sierra Leone, demonstrate the potential for cities to mitigate heat risks through urban planning and technology

⏭️ What's next: The conference is set to launch an "extreme heat global action centre" for sharing resilience strategies and will initiate a two-month global awareness campaign, culminating in a Heat Action Day on June 2 
• The ultimate goal is to develop standardized heatwave disaster response protocols akin to those for other natural disasters

💬 One quote: "Science fiction is deliberately scary. Reality need not be. With the right anticipation and action, the very worst scenarios can remain in the realm of imagination," (Jagan Chapagain, IFRC secretary general)

📈 One stat: Last year, France estimated it had 5,000 heat-related deaths, a stark contrast to more populous countries in Asia with much lower reported tolls despite higher temperatures and lower public healthcare investment

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