The continuous warming of the earth is a big threat to top sports and future competitions, reports the US channel CNN.
According to an analysis by CarbonPlan, an organization focused on climate science and analytics, most of the world’s cities will not be able to host the Summer Olympics in the coming decades when they exceed the safe humidity and heat limits.
Among the cities that have already applied for the 2036 Summer Olympics, at least Qatar’s Doha, India’s Ahmedabad and the future capital Nusantara to be built in Indonesia may turn out to be too hot competition venues based on CarbonPlan’s assessment.
– Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, the worst heat of the year falls exactly at the time when the Summer Olympics are usually held, says CarbonPlan’s climate scientist Oriana Chegwidden for CNN.
Among the previous competition organizers, such cities would be at least Beijing, Athens, Rome, Atlanta, Tokyo and Seoul, CNN lists.
On the other hand, at least the cities of Northern Europe can, based on the weather conditions, prove to be more and more potential competition cities from now on. The CNN article highlights London, Oslo and Stockholm as examples.
Competition planning is of great importance
According to CNN, cases of heat stroke and exhaustion among elite athletes are increasing as fossil fuel pollution raises temperatures and humidity levels. Spectators, especially those coming from cooler climates, are also vulnerable to extreme heat.
According to climate researcher Chegwidden, stress caused by heat can be reduced with simple means.
– For example, race planners could mitigate heat risks by starting races before or after the hottest time of the summer, or by organizing events at night or early in the morning, when it’s cooler.
CarbonPlan’s estimates of heat stress are based on a temperature measurement method that takes into account heat, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover.
The next Summer Olympics will be held in 2028 in Los Angeles, USA, and the temperatures on the shores of the Pacific Ocean will remain moderate. In 2032, the Olympics will be held in Brisbane during the end of the Southern Hemisphere winter in July.