FAST FACTS
A recent study shows that people in poorer neighbourhoods experience higher heat exposure than those in more affluent areas.
Green spaces have the potential to reduce heat in urban areas and, in turn, improve the health of the inhabitants.
Indoor vertical gardens can reduce the temperature of the room in which they are contained.
Persistently high temperatures and related heat stress are a big problem for people living in cities, especially in slums and informal settlements. And it's a problem that is expected to continue.
According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel in Climate Change assessment report, heat exposure in Africa is projected to increase in terms of person-days. That is, the annual number of days when the temperature is over 40,6°C multiplied by the number of people exposed.
Heat exposure will reach 45 billion person-days by the 2060s, over three times the rate between 1985 and 2005. This will make sub-Saharan Africa's exposure to dangerous heat one of the highest globally.
Heat-exposure challenges are increased by a shortage of basic services and infrastructure, along with low-quality housing, poor socioeconomic conditions, and few green spaces in slums and informal settlements.
Our recent study in Akure, Nigeria, showed that poor residents in informal neighbourhoods experienced higher heat exposure compared with residents in rich neighbourhoods. Through a survey of 70 residents in each neighbourhood, we found that poorer households in low-income neighbourhoods were more disadvantaged and had lower capacity to adapt to heat.
Denne historien er fra Farmer's Weekly 18 November 2022-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra Farmer's Weekly 18 November 2022-utgaven av Farmer's Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Understanding eye conditions in horses: causes and first aid
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IPM requires a completely different mindset
You need to investigate any beneficial insects that may appear on your plants, or you can purchase them
Does parrot farming protect wild species?
Those in favour of commercial captive breeding argue that breeding parrots to sell can relieve pressure on wild populations. Researchers Neil D'Cruze and Rowan Martin review the evidence.
Bacterial and fungal diseases of garlic
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Responsible wastewater management: a crucial part of farming
The inadequate management of waste water is a challenge that the agriculture sector needs to deal with. Magda du Toit spoke to experts in waste and water management about a cost-effective treatment system.
Technology that can help protect South Africa's farms
Farm attacks, murders, livestock and crop theft, and other rural crimes are a growing concern in South Africa. As a result, more and more farmers are turning to advanced security technology to protect their lives, properties, and livelihoods. Sinenhlanhla Mncwango spoke to experts about the security strategies that producers can adopt to combat these threats.
The impact of theft on farms in South Africa
A high number of livestock are being stolen every year in South Africa. Insurance is expensive and farmers are battling to find solutions to the problem, says Dr Lindie von Maltitz, agricultural economics lecturer in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State.
Staying afloat amid the cost-price squeeze
John Hudson, head of agriculture at Nedbank Commercial Banking, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the importance of environmental and social sustainability for a prosperous agriculture sector.
Free State has no reason to mark Transport Month
Free State Agriculture (FSA) is very concerned about the extremely poor state of rural paved and gravel roads in the province and has very little, if anything, to celebrate during Transport Month, which takes place every October.
SA's food system ‘vulnerable to climate change'
The Just Transition Agenda for Food System Policymaking in SA webinar, hosted by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) in October, highlighted the role that South Africa’s food system plays in contributing to climate change and how vulnerable it is to the impact thereof.
