https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.133.10

Shania Pande
Policy Officer, The Physiological Society

2023 was the hottest year on record

The year 2023 was confirmed as the warmest year on record since 1850, with over 200 days having a new daily global temperature record for that time of the year.1 In the UK especially, the length and frequency of extreme heat episodes are expected to intensify in the years ahead, as are the number of preventable heat-related deaths. Despite this, the UK remains as one of the most underprepared countries in the world to deal with the consequences of extreme heat. A national heat resilience strategy is therefore a crucial step in the effective preparation and implementation of a multidisciplinary approach to tackle this extreme heat.

Extreme heat particularly affects the most vulnerable in society

Heat-related impacts occur mostly among vulnerable groups either due to reduced physiological capacity to cope with extreme temperatures or living and working in environments that are inappropriate for the rising temperatures. These vulnerable groups include older people, people who are pregnant, people with pre-existing health conditions or people who take certain medications, as well as those exposed to higher temperatures at work, or due to lack of shelter (such as people who experience homelessness).

However, we know very little about the underlying physiological mechanisms that make people more vulnerable to heat. It is important that the UK’s national strategy is rooted in an understanding of how heat impacts the normal physiology of individuals, particularly these vulnerable groups. As Associate Professor Zoe Saynor from the University of Portsmouth notes, “We need a much better understanding of how heat affects different individuals, not only their physiology but also the external environment and the relationship between the two.2

Responding to extreme heat requires coordinated action

To support and protect individuals and communities across the country, The Physiological Society partnered with the Faculty of Public Health to produce a report, which makes recommendations for the UK Government and devolved administrations to develop a Heat Resilience Strategy to coordinate action in the following areas: 

1. Research: Establish a Heat Adaptation Research Exchange Taskforce to tackle research gaps and increase the speed of research translation into policy and action. The taskforce should focus efforts on those deemed most vulnerable and where the most significant research gaps remain, including older people, pregnant women and people with pre-existing conditions, and those who take prescription medications.
2. Built environment: Form a Human- Centred Climate Adaption Design and Planning Institute to accelerate the adaptation of the built environment to higher temperatures, with governments across the UK mandating thermally efficient design principles and promoting the use of green infrastructure.
3. Businesses: Employers must develop a physiologically informed and sustainable plan for workers during extreme heat events to protect health, safety, wellbeing and productivity.
4. Public health: Improve early warning systems and bring together public health professionals from across the UK and devolved governments, local authorities and charities to deliver a public health campaign focused on improving long-term resilience and preparedness for extreme heat amongst vulnerable groups.

Extreme heat exacerbates not only physical but mental ill health

Extreme temperatures not only impact people’s physical health, but are also associated with a rise in mental ill health. However, there is a lack of information about the relationship between physiological and cognitive functions that drive poor mental health outcomes as well as increases in hospital admissions from attempts to take one’s own life during periods of extreme heat.

To this end, The Society organised an online webinar with the Wellcome Trust in February this year to understand how heat affects mental health and physiology’s role in mitigating it. The roundtable was attended by experts in climate science, mental health and physiology from a range of high-income as well as low-and middle-income countries.

As the Chair of the project’s Steering Group, Professor Mike Tipton, also from the University of Portsmouth, noted at the report’s launch in Parliament, “Physiology is absolutely critical to doing the right things to adapt and mitigate these challenges of heat, but physiology can’t work alone. We have to work in collaboration with architects, public health officials, clinicians, botanists, town planners, and in that way we can get to the optimum solution for the challenges ahead.”

Decision-makers need to pay closer attention to physiologists

Physiological research will be crucial in understanding the impact of extreme heat on human health and developing a sustainable response.

If you would like to be involved in The Society’s future projects on Climate & Health, please contact the policy team at policy@physoc.org.

To read our latest report Developing a Human-centred Heat Resilience Strategy and look at our past work in the area, please follow this link: physoc.org/policy/climatechange-and-health/

References

1 Copernicus Climate Change Service. Copernicus: 2023 is the hottest year on record, with global temperatures close to the 1.5°C limit. Available at: https://climate.copernicus.eu/copernicus-2023-hottest-year-record

2 The Physiological Society. Report Launch: Developing a Heat Resilience Strategy. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyGca3D3ez4