Health under heat: Heatwaves as a human security threat

When: Tuesday 06 October 2026 | 14:00 - 14:25

Format: Spotlight session

Hosted by: adelphi global 

Across the world, 2026 has brought another season of dangerous heat. August 2026 was the hottest  month ever recorded. Extreme heat is a public health emergency: it worsens cardiovascular and respiratory disease, causes dehydration and injury, and can make work unsafe. During heatwaves, pressure on power, water and transport systems can also interrupt healthcare. Yet these effects are often recorded separately, if at all. As a result, much of the health burden remains out of sight. Mainstream security is built for the sudden and the visible: the flood line, the fire front, the evacuation order. Heat does not announce itself that way; its effects build slowly in homes, workplaces and public services, rarely crossing the threshold at which protection is triggered. The burden also falls unevenly. Outdoor and informal workers often have little choice but to keep working through dangerous temperatures. Older people can be stranded in overheated homes, while low-income communities tend to have less access to cooling, green space and healthcare. Those bearing the greatest risks are frequently the least visible to the public authorities. This spotlight session traces how heat becomes a health and human security crisis. It examines why so much of the burden remains hidden and what governments and health systems can do to find and protect the people most at risk. 

Speakers:

• Prof Marina Romanello, Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown
• Luc Bas, Director of the Belgium Climate Risk Assessment Center