Comment on World Weather Attribution South Asia heatwaves analysis
Gareth Redmond-King is available for comment and interview.
By George Smeeton
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Commenting on analysis of the role played by climate change in the recent heatwaves in South Asia [1], Gareth Redmond-King, Head of International Programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said:
“Extreme heat, made worse and more likely by climate change, also make it harder to grow food.
“This can be devastating for people in these four countries, but is also dangerous for us. Last year we imported £2bn worth of food from Laos, Thailand, India and Bangladesh – over a quarter of which (£539m) we cannot grow in the UK. This includes £150m worth of rice and £42m of tea, both products highly vulnerable to extreme heat and other climate impacts.
“India alone is our second biggest supplier of tea, accounting for 15% of the tea we import. With food prices already worryingly high, poor harvests will only add to the pressure and drive prices up further.”
Notes to editors:
- World Weather Attribution: Extreme humid heat in South Asia in April 2023, largely driven by climate change, detrimental to vulnerable and disadvantaged communities: https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/extreme-humid-heat-in-south-asia-in-april-2023-largely-driven-by-climate-change-detrimental-to-vulnerable-and-disadvantaged-communities/
For more information:
George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net