Three countries announced climate lockdown
Thaïlande, Bangladesh, Philippines… le “confinement climatique” s’installe
Record extreme temperatures across Asia have led many countries to take drastic measures, including closing schools and recommending that their citizens shelter in their homes to escape the heat. for the newspaper novethic, Who coined this concept “climate prison“Describing a situation like this shows how unprepared we are for climate change.
Especially in South and Southeast Asia, where measures are being taken to protect citizens from the record temperatures being recorded in countries like the Philippines, Bangladesh and Thailand.
in Manila, the capital of philippines, the thermometer has reached 38.8°C with a thermal sensation of 45°C. With such high temperatures and a general transportation strike at the doorstep, the Philippine Ministry of Education announced the suspension of face-to-face classes in more than 47,000 educational institutions, moving classes to virtuality and sessions. Online, In bangladesh We are also struggling with the scorching temperature of 42°C, it has been decided to close schools across the country.
Climatologist Maximiliano Herrera points out in the ‘X’ publication that we are facing an unprecedented situation: “the worst heat wave in April in the history of Asia”, according to the aforementioned media. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), for its part, has confirmed that Asia is the region of the world most affected by the effects of climate change with rapid increases in temperatures: “Asia is warming faster than the global average. The trend has almost doubled since the period 1961-1990,” says the WMO.
In addition to school closures, many countries have urged their citizens to stay at home to avoid risks associated with extreme heat. Large-scale shutdowns have seen electricity demand surge, reaching record levels in many countries ThailandWhere electrical resources are being tested.
However, this is not the first time that governments have taken extraordinary measures due to adverse weather conditions. In Colombia, which is facing historic drought, a non-working day was declared in the public sector to reduce water and electricity consumption. Neighboring country Ecuador also had to take similar steps. Last August, the Iranian government declared two holidays due to extreme temperatures.