Poorest suffer most in heatwaves

Of the thousands of people in Spain who have died with extreme heat as a contributing factor, there is one specific demographic that stands out the most  – the poor.

Researchers in Madrid have found a disproportionate correlation between those who died with excessive heat playing a part in their demise, and their income. In the words of Julio Díaz of Carlos III health institute, in Madrid ,’A heatwave is not the same when you’re in a shared room with three other people and no air conditioning, as when you’re in a villa with access to a pool and air conditioning.’

Poorest more likely to suffer during heatwaves

After focusing their studies on 3 of the lowest-level income neighbourhoods in Madrid, the researchers expanded their investigation to communities across Spain. According to the research team ‘People with lower incomes struggle to access quality housing, many living in overcrowded, poorly ventilated homes with little respite from the heat. Some struggle to access adequate healthcare, leaving them more likely to suffer from conditions that could be exacerbated by heatwaves.’

The effects of stress and poverty on health are well documented, but in Europe, an area of the world that is suffering rising temperatures more than most others, excessive heat and little protection from it, is exacerbating health problems.

‘Green gentrification’ excluding lower-income families

Compounding the problem of adequate housing, there is what Dr Alby Duarte Rocha, a researcher at BerlinTechnical University calls ‘green gentrification.’ Greener, more treed areas of cities which generally enjoy cooler more airy conditions, compared to crowded and built up concrete estates, have become financially inaccessible to lower-income families. Duarte Rocha went on to say that this was the ‘epitome of environmental injustice’. Those least responsible for climate change are now the most affected by it.