Lessons of the 2003 heatwave

Take care of the elderly

According to the Spanish climatologist Ricardo García-Herrera, the main answer to adapt to more extreme temperatures is a social answer. "Take care of the elderly."

By Michel Verschoor

 
With other scientists, you have done research on extreme temperatures and Iberian mortality; what is your main conclusion?
"During heat-waves like the one in 2003, people who are accustomed to high temperatures suffer less than people who aren't. So, those who are used to high summer temperature averages will also adapt more easily to extreme temperatures as a result of climate change. This is clearly illustrated if we look at the relation between high temperatures and death mortality. In Madrid daily mortality starts to increase when temperature rises above 36.5, in Seville we see an effect at 41, but in Lisbon daily mortality is already on the rise at 34. In Lisbon more people died than in Madrid" read more »

This article is a part of the magazine 'Climate Adaptation in Europe'

December 2009