Hajj 2024: Deadly heatwave intensified by climate change, killed hundreds of pilgrims

Climate change has significantly intensified the deadly heatwave in Saudi Arabia that claimed the lives of at least 550 Hajj pilgrims, according to a rapid analysis by an independent group of climate scientists and researchers, reported PTI.

The analysis found that the heatwave was 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer due to human-driven climate change, with natural variability playing a minor role.

The extreme temperatures have affected large parts of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East in recent weeks. Media reports indicate that at least 550 pilgrims died during the annual Hajj pilgrimage, which began on Friday, as temperatures at Mecca’s Grand Mosque soared to 51.8 degrees Celsius. Among the deceased were 323 Egyptians, 98 Indians, 60 Jordanians, and five Iranians.

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ClimaMeter, an EU-funded initiative of climate scientists, described the event as “very uncommon” and attributed the extreme temperatures to human-driven climate change. “We ascribe the extreme temperatures of the Saudi Arabia heatwave to human-driven climate change, with natural climate variability likely playing a minor role,” the analysts said.

This year, over 1.8 million Muslim pilgrims were expected to attend Hajj, according to the Saudi General Authority for Statistics. The Saudi health ministry attributed the fatalities to pre-existing conditions and the vulnerable health of the pilgrims.

ClimaMeter scientists, who use satellite observations to analyze the role of climate change in extreme weather events, concluded that heatwaves like the one in Saudi Arabia are now up to 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than at the turn of the century.

Davide Faranda, a ClimaMeter researcher at CNRS, France, emphasised the link between fossil fuel burning and the deadly heat during this year’s Hajj. “Immediate action is imperative to safeguard the health and safety of Middle East citizens and pilgrims. Only reducing fossil fuel combustion can prevent reaching critical temperature thresholds and avoid transforming these significant religious events into recurrent tragedies,” he said.

Tommaso Alberti, another ClimaMeter researcher from Italy, highlighted that natural climate variability is unlikely to be the main cause of the heatwave. “The analysis indicates that natural climate variability is highly unlikely to be the main cause of the Saudi Arabian heatwave, which was up to 2.5 degrees Celsius warmer than the warmest heatwaves previously observed in the region,” he said. Alberti called for urgent actions to protect public health, particularly in historic and densely populated religious areas of Middle Eastern cities.

With the Earth’s global surface temperature already 1.15 degrees Celsius above the average in 1850-1900, climate scientists urge countries to take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 43 percent by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Developing nations argue that they cannot be expected to reduce CO2 emissions faster if developed countries do not provide enhanced financial support.

Climate finance will be a key issue at the upcoming UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, where nations will agree on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) – the amount developed nations must mobilize annually starting in 2025 to support climate action in developing countries. Rich countries are expected to raise over USD 100 billion, while developing countries demand trillions of dollars to tackle climate change.

With inputs from PTI.