Africa-Press – Botswana. The punishing heat waves that have scorched much of Botswana could result in a twentyfold increase in the number of heat-related mortality by 2050, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned. Based on data previously available from WHO member states, the WHO Health and Environment scorecard indicates that Botswana faces the risk of heat-related health problems, with the 65+ age group being the most vulnerable to mortality.
According to the report, Botswana faces “20x more heat deaths in 2050 compared to 1961-1990 period under a high emissions scenario,” states the report.
Additionally, the scorecard notes that Botswana had “3 heat deaths per year before 1990,” but this is likely to shoot to “61 heat deaths in 2050.”
Although Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) calls for universal access to modern, affordable, and reliable energy by 2030, Botswana appears to be struggling to close the “cooling gap,” with thousands of Batswana suffering from heat-related stress and lacking access to affordable and efficient cooling solutions for their homes.
According to the WHO Health and Environment Scorecard, Batswana would experience an average of 100 days of life-threatening high temperatures by 2050. The scorecard states that “the number of ‘warm spell’ days in 2050 under a high emissions scenario” is “100 days.”
Similar findings were confirmed in November 2023 by the medical journal Lancet’s annual assessment of the effects of climate change on public health, known as the Countdown. The Countdown found that the number of heat-related deaths among people aged 65 and older has risen 85% over the last decade compared to the years between 1991 and 2000. The analysis found that people around the world were exposed to an average of 86 days of life-threatening high temperatures.
The WHO Health and Environment Scorecard, in a sense, measures the severity of Botswana’s cooling problem, particularly in areas where poverty and unfavourable weather patterns coexist. A heat wave occurs when extremely high daytime temperatures last for an extended amount of time. The World Health Organisation estimates that heat waves kill 12,000 people annually, and if governments do not make adjustments, that number could rise to approximately 255,000 by 2050.
The implication of this study is that the current SDG7 for energy understates the extent of energy poverty, when considering that almost three fifths of Batswana lack affordable cooling technologies and face the risk of heat stress-related health impacts.
In 2023, the Botswana Climate Change Network (BCCN) issued a warning that heat-waves represent a serious health risk to susceptible populations, such as the elderly, young children, expectant mothers, and people with respiratory illnesses. These groups are more likely to experience heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke when exposed to extended periods of high temperatures. Furthermore, those with underlying medical conditions may suffer greatly as a result of severe stress on their bodies.
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