IASC Briefing: Extreme Heat and the Road to COP28
Watch the recording of the full briefing here: IASC Briefing on Extreme Heat and the Road to COP28, 28 February 2023
IASC Briefing: Reflections on Extreme Heat and the Road to COP28
Tuesday, 28 February 2023
The impacts of climate change are being seen and felt around the world, bringing new and previously unimaginable challenges to people and communities. In recent decades, extreme heat has been labelled the ‘silent killer’ and has risen to become one of the deadliest disasters on record.
In October 2022, IASC members OCHA & IFRC released “Extreme Heat: Preparing for the Heatwaves of the Future”, describing how climate change is making heatwaves ever more dangerous, and that aggressive steps must be taken now to avert potentially recurrent heat disasters. This report is the first to be published jointly by OCHA and IFRC, and it offers concrete steps that humanitarians and decision makers can take to mitigate extreme heat’s worst effects. IASC members remain seized with the issue of climate change, and in the lead up to COP27, released key messages showcasing the humanitarian community’s priorities on the climate crisis.
The aim of this IASC briefing is to outline highlights from the recently released report by IASC members on extreme heat, and to reflect on both the outcomes of COP27 and the road to COP28, from the perspective of humanitarian practitioners.
Speakers:
• Ms. Violet Kakyomya, Humanitarian Coordinator, Chad
• Mr. Greg Puley, Head of Climate Team, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
• Mr. John Nairn, Senior Extreme Heat Advisor, World Meteorological Organization
• Ms. Sumera Javed, Health and Development Society (HANDS), Pakistan
Moderator:
• Ms. Samantha Newport, Deputy Chief, IASC secretariat