As temperatures rise and summers become increasingly sweltering, the Chief Environment Officer, Ambassador Diann Black-Layne, has indicated that the country could see an increase in violent behaviour during periods of high temperatures.
She drew reference to what obtains in countries such as the United States, which are preparing for a spike in crime due to the heat.
“There’s a direct link between heat and violence … in the cities in the US, when it is super hot, they are prepared for violence,” Black-Layne stated on state media yesterday.
To mitigate the effects of the impending situation, the head of the Department of Environment indicated that talks have been held with the Minister of Health, Sir Molwyn Joseph, with future dialogue planned to be held with Cabinet over the next few months.
Black-Layne mentioned that the heat has also led to mass migration to cooler countries in the north by persons living near the equator.
She added that the governments of the common migration hotspots have begun to provide climate change-related assistance, including help to reduce emissions, in an effort to curb migration levels from the affected countries.
Climate change, which refers to a long-term shift in temperatures and weather patterns have primarily been the result of the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas.
The last decade spanning from 2011-2020 has been the warmest decade on record, continuing the four-decade temperature increase which has been warmer than any decade since 1850.
The earth’s average surface temperature is approximately 1.1°C warmer than what was recorded in the late 1800s, according to the United Nations.
