Climate-driven heat waves and pollution imperil health in Global South
Record global heat in 2024 fueled longer heat waves, worsening air quality and public health in regions from India to Nigeria to Brazil, where extreme weather compounded pollution and respiratory disease risks.
Simrin Sirur reports for Mongabay with Orji Sunday and Karla Mendes.
In short:
- India faced record summer heat in 2024, intensifying air pollution in Delhi, with ozone levels above safe limits for 102 days.
- Wildfires in Brazil’s Amazon produced dangerous smoke that impacted Indigenous communities already vulnerable due to limited healthcare access.
- In Nigeria’s arid north, rising temperatures and dust storms fueled a meningitis surge, straining under-resourced hospitals.
Key quote:
“You can’t breathe properly anymore, you can’t sleep properly, you can’t see properly — that’s what I felt when we had the forest fires.”
— Takumã Kuikuro, filmmaker and president of the Alto Xingu Family Institute
Why this matters:
The Global South is experiencing deadly heat waves and pollution that disproportionately affect low-income communities, outdoor workers and vulnerable populations. As climate change accelerates, addressing the links between heat, air quality and disease is crucial for public health and environmental justice.
