Climbing temperatures put the future of Qatar’s people and healthcare at risk

As many workers suffered from heatstroke atop the stadiums scattered throughout Qatar this past year during the 2022 World Cup, the climate crisis and its increased impact on those living in warmer climates became the focus of international discussion.  With this increased awareness came national advancements that helped develop safe protocols for spending time outside in the warm environment.

Qatar, one of the hottest places on the planet, has experienced temperatures rising at record speeds, according to cilmatecenteral.org.  Because of the bustling construction throughout the past years in preparation for the World Cup and the small size of the nation, Qatar is risking an influx of climate impacts and its effects on the population’s health.  Mr. Jos Lelieveld, an atmospheric chemist working at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany, is an expert on Middle Eastern climates, and commented on the fatal effects heat can have on people in the coming years, according to The Washington Post.

“If it’s hot and humid and the relative humidity is close to 100 percent, you can die from the heat you produce yourself,” Mr. Leliveld said, according to The Washington Post.  “These areas are warming faster than the rest of the globe.”

In efforts to combat the extreme heat present in Qatar, officials within the Qatari government place a primary focus on supporting a healthcare system that considers not only the interests of current Qatar residents, but also future generations, according to seaopenresearch.eu.  Approaching national health issues with reasonable advancement, Qatar prioritizes the needs that correlate with spiraling health conditions through the installation of outdoor air conditioning systems.  These systems, costing around $80 to $250, serve as the only solution to outdoor living and assurance of safety when passing the time in the fatal temperatures.  However, as time progresses, climate activist Mr. Neeshad Shafi, who serves as the executive director of Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar, conveyed that these measures are a necessary step for survival even with their poor global impact, according to The Washington Post. 

“That’s about survival.  It’s too hot.  That’s the reality,” Mr. Shafi said. 

Featured Image by Zara Black ’23