Beirut: As thousands of obedient Muslims gathered on the most holy Islamic sites in Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage pilgrimage this week, scientists warn of holy rituals under threat because of the continued heat.
The risk of pilgrims who suffer from loyal heat strokes can increase fivefold with global warming 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the preindustrial era, found a study in a journal research letter.
With an increase of 2C – less ambitious goals from the 2015 Paris Agreement – probability to be 10 times higher, said Climate analytics, Berlin-based tanks.
“This area is already susceptible to dangerous heat levels.
We found that even in the best case scenario, where the temperature only rose 1.5 degrees Celsius, pilgrims would still be under threat,” said Fahad Saeed, the lead author of the study.
“This will endanger the essence of this religion,” Saeed, regional major scientists for climate analytic, told Thomson Reuters foundation.
The world has heated up around 1.2C and is currently on the heating path around 3C this century because emissions continue to increase.
Hajj, a task that was once in a lifetime for every Muslim who was able to be able to buy it, involved several outdoor activities, including praying outside and walking from a religious site to another place during the day.
The risk of heat stroke is not only from increasing temperature, but from lower moisture – which prevents sweat from evaporating quickly, making it more difficult to cool.
To guard against Coronavirus, only 60,000 pilgrims visiting key sites from July 17 to 22 this year, within a temperature of around 36 to 43C (97 to 109F).
Climate analytic found that July, August, September and October will have the most deadly combination of heat and moisture – months where HAJ, which follows the Lunar Islamic calendar, will go down for the next decade.
Saudi General Authority from Meteorology and Environmental Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comments.
The Saudi authorities handled a hot threat, with the 2016 National Extreme Hajj Strategy which promised AC and fans in all indoor and water places adequate, because hot diseases consisted of 24% of hospital receipts during 2015 Hajj.
After only giving 1,000 pilgrims to attend last year, Haj has developed this year but only for citizens and residents, aged 18 to 65 years, who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from viruses and those who do not suffer from chronic diseases.
The Ministry of Health announced that it has provided drizzling fans throughout religious locations and the nearest hospital will be equipped with a 24-hour hot fatigue unit.
Limiting numbers to reduce the risk of the spread of Covid-19 has also forbidden those who are at most risky heat strokes, while fewer average pilgrims can work more effectively.
“There is a lower number this year but in the normal years HAJ carries 2 million people to a limited place.
The risk will be higher,” Saeed said.
The research writer said Muslim countries must consider more actively working to curb climate change emissions under the Paris agreement “to avoid in-depth risk for one of the main elements of their faith”.
“Climate action can save this heritage,” said Saeed.
Hajj pilgrims face a hot stroke risk that grows with global warming
