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‘We have different ways of coping’: the global heatwave from Beijing to Bukhara
Swimming in the Nile, wearing wet towels, absorbing heat with sacks of rice people from nine countries around the world tell us how theyre coping or not coping with the extreme heat
In Cairo people swim in the Nile and absorb the heat in their homes with sacks of rice. In Tokyo they carry parasols. Farmers in Bukhara fear for their future, while in Jordan, refugees cover themselves with wet towels.
And anyone who can relies on air conditioning (AC).
Around the world, people are trying to cope with the intense and prolonged heat. As always, the most vulnerable in society the homeless, the elderly, the poor or disenfranchised are suffering the most.
Guardian Cities is investigating heat in cities for a special week of journalism next month. Tell us how heat has affected you.
Mahmoud Mohamed, 21, student, Cairo. Temperature: 40C
I live in a house on Waraq Island, in the Nile, with my uncles, their families and grandparents. When we were kids we used to swim in the Nile, and some of us still do to overcome the heat.
The family saved up and bought one AC unit for the living room; now thats where everyone spends their day preparing food, watching TV, playing or studying. But it doesnt always work because the electricity is very weak.
My grandmother used to put the bedsheets in the fridge or the cooler, or hold a bag of cold water against our backs. My mother used a trick from Upper Egypt: using sacks of rice and buckwheat to absorb the heat.
I plan so that I can spend the day in air-conditioned offices at university or work, only returning home at night. I take the metro every day: when its hot, everyone is sweaty and smells. And sometimes the metro breaks down due to the heat.
Reported by Ruth Michaelson with Adham Youssef in Cairo
Naoko Kawaguchi, 38, administrative assistant, Tokyo. Temperature: 31C
Its much worse this summer than last year. The reflected heat off the ground has been much more intense compared with the last few years. I use a parasol but it doesnt really help me,because the heat from the ground is so hot.
I try to walk in the shade and also take lots of water, and then use AC in my home during the night. In past summers I used a timer to switch it off two hours after I fell asleep; now I leave it on through the night.
When I leave the office to get lunch, I try to go somewhere nearby. On weekends I try not to go out when the sun is really high. Sometimes I try to escape from Tokyo to cooler areas, but even there its too hot this year.
When I was a kid I could sleep with the window open but lately I cant. Im concerned about temperatures getting hotter in the future due to climate change; I hope America will stay signed up to the Paris agreement. We rely on AC more and more, which uses electricity, so I think it will get hotter because of that.
Reported by Daniel Hurst in Tokyo
Elmer Fecteau, 66, living in a homeless shelter, Montreal. Temperature: 25C
There have been days when I couldnt really go out for very long. Its always been hot in Montreal for a few weeks here and there, but now it feels like its double the amount of time we have intense heat.
Im living at the Old Brewery Mission [a non-profit supporting the homeless in Montreal]. Im also helping some kids on the street; theyre not in as good a situation as me because they dont have AC.
The water situation is not that great. The mission give you popsicles [with electrolytes] so that replenishes the salts and whatever you need. We dehydrate ourselves and we dont even know it. Then all of a sudden youre dizzy; thats when accidents happen. You dont have to buy water, you just have to buy one good water container and carry it with you. But we need more water fountains in the parks.
I have bronchitis and pneumonia. I go from here to Saint Denis and Sherbrooke [an intersection about 2km away].I do it in two or three blocks at a time and I have to find an air-conditioned place and sit down and relax or sit down and cough because of the pollution and the heat. Theres a lot of coughing when it starts.
Try to find a friendly tree in the city and give it a hug. You have to find some AC, so shopping centres are good and large stores. People should be aware that other people need AC and water. Give them the time of day and a smile, and pass along a little water.
Reported by Jillian Kestler-DAmours in Montreal
Damir Yadgarov, 80, cotton farmer, Bukhara. Temperature: 35C
The prosperity of our whole region depends on the quality of cotton that we produce. Because of the extremely dry climate, we have to keep the soil as wet as possible during the summer to get a good crop in the autumn. This becomes very complicated because the available water evaporates faster as the temperature rises. A lot of local farmers get into debt just keeping the cotton fields watered.
A new channel was created several years ago to get water to Bukharas fields from the Amu Darya, the river between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. A couple of smaller rivers near Bukhara had dried out. Only 20 or 30 years ago the temperature did not rise too high, farming was easier, there was more rain in the summer.
We have to take this issue seriously now. Life will be really harsh if the temperature keeps rising.
Reported by Sevil Khikmatova
Thanassis Ksaksiris, 45, farmer and trader, Athens. Temperature: 31C
I work two jobs, like most of the people who sell produce at the laikes [farmers markets]: two days a week growing fruits and vegetables in the fields of Marathonas [a town about an hours drive north-east of Athens], where I live with my family, and five days selling them at different laikes across Athens.
Working outside is always worst at the beginning of a heatwave as it goes on, the body adapts as much as it can, and you begin to get used to it. Here in the market, working during the afternoon is bearable because we have umbrellas above each stall.
Working in the fields is much more difficult: there is no shade, you are constantly in the sun. We start working at 6am: it is light outside but not yet too hot. We rest from 11am and start work again after 4pm until it gets dark. It is also vital to dress properly for the Greek sun light, light-coloured clothing and hats.
Reported by Clea Skopeliti in Athens
Logan Wang, 27, professional, Beijing. Temperature: 35C
This years heatwave has been remarkable, coupled with rare humidity on consecutive days like living in a sauna. A colleague recalled that, five or so years ago, he could have cooled himself down in the shade at midday on a summers day; now hes soaked with sweat as soon as he steps outside, and AC is the only remedy.
As a northern city in China, Beijing typically has low rainfall and humidity. Clothes could be dried quickly after washing; this year it takes weeks. There are regular heavy downpours, I felt as if I were living in a coastal city.
In the past only record-breaking temperatures have captured public attention in China. My home city of Wuhan is famous for its melting weather in summer. But my mom could still jog even on summer days. The highest temperature in Wuhan lately has been 38C, on July 21, and it stayed around 37-38C in the following days. Its a matter of time before it reaches 40C or higher.
Nowadays, people resort to spending their summer holidays in the mountains, where the temperature is lower. In the city, lots of concrete buildings spring up with limited ability to absorb the heat. The ecosystem possesses its own ability to adjust the temperature and to balance living conditions. We need to find a way to rebuild the ecosystem, to restore the balance.
Submitted online to Guardian Cities
Hamda Al-Marzouq, 27, community organiser at Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan. Temperature: 37C
Its a desert area, and were suffering. It is summer so its dusty. We live in a caravan, and its so hot because they are made of metal.
We have different ways of coping. We wake early and soak the floor with water. Then we sprinkle water on ourselves. Most of the time we soak towels and put them on our heads. In dust storms, we cant go outside. They are sudden and frequent. We have to close the windows, its suffocating. We soak the towels and try to breathe through them. We have issues with asthma. My son has respiratory infections on a regular basis.
There is limited electricity in the camp. We have power from six in the evening until four in the morning. But we need it for electric fans during the peak temperatures in the day. We used to collect water with jerry cans and had to carry it for long distances. Now, with an operational water network, things are much easier. We dont have to fight in a long queue to get our share of water.
Reported by Oliver Holmes in Jerusalem
Otar Nemsadze, 34, urbanist, Tbilisi. Temperature: 33C
This summer has been extreme, we went over 40C in July, which has had an average of 30C historically. For the first time, I installed AC in my house. My wife is pregnant, we simply couldnt survive at home with the unbearable heat. We try to avoid using it because its not environmentally-friendly, we tried to get by with fans but we couldnt.
People who can afford to do so usually leave Tbilisi in August, to go to summer houses in one of the surrounding small villages. But because there was such heat, everybody tried to get out of the city earlier. Theres such smog, people dont go out in the daytime anymore. The city feels empty.
My impression is that, for the last five years or even longer, its been getting hotter and hotter every year. It is worrying. The local government is trying to improve air pollution, but its targeted at the use of private vehicles. Its not only about cars, its also about the people who live in the city. We need more awareness, but it seems that the issue of climate change is low priority. People are more worried about other things.
Reported by Elle Hunt
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