How effective are China’s heatwave adaptation policies?

HTA entails provision of additional subsidies to workers who are obligated to work in high-temperature weather conditions. WR refer to the prohibition of work when the ambient temperature surpasses a specific threshold. Widely adopted thresholds for high-temperature allowances and work restrictions in China are 33 and 40 degrees Celsius, respectively.

The challenge

In July 2023, the world experienced the hottest month ever recorded, highlighting the alarming impact of climate change. The intensity and frequency of heat waves are projected to increase in the coming years. China has witnessed the detrimental consequences of heat waves, with studies revealing a significant correlation between extreme weather events and increased health risks. Moreover, heat waves have been responsible for 5% excess mortality, with urban and densely populated communities bearing the highest burden.

Addressing the risks of heat waves requires the careful design and implementation of policies. However, there is limited knowledge about the effectiveness and feasibility of adaptation policies to combat heat waves. It is recognized that low- and middle-income countries are particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of heat waves, while existing adaptation policies such as warning systems, heat shelters and the training of medical staff are primarily concentrated in high-income countries. But even in high-income settings there is limited evaluation of the effectiveness of these adaptation policies, leading to limited knowledge regarding which policies yield the most significant benefits. 

Objectives

The project will gather city-level data on allowance amounts, work restriction requirements and the corresponding temperature reference thresholds for 340 cities in China from 2005 onwards (or before, if data is available). This unique data, merged with other sources of data including past forecasts will be used to estimate historic policy-implementation dates and trends and city-level enforcement standards. To understand further the effectiveness of regulation and implementation of policies interviews with government and firms, and online surveys with employees will be conducted.  The project will provide new insights to the effectiveness of China’s heatwave policies that will be useful for similar efforts globally.

Funding details: This project is funded by the UCL-PKU Global Health Funding Call 2023/24

Project duration: 12 months from March 2024.

Principal Investigator: Dr Rozana Himaz (UCL-PI); Dr. Yuhang Pan (PKU-PI)

Co-Investigators: Prof. Jolene Skordis; Dr. Francesco Salustri