American news magazine and website TIME has today acknowledge the restless efforts of the First Chief Heat Officer in Africa Eugenia Kargbo for her contributions to climate change in the Transform Freetown project.
Recalling back in July 2021, it was by record the hottest month on Earth. With rapidly-rising temperatures and more than half of the world’s population living in cities, urban heat is already life-threatening.
On average, cities are 5 to 9 degrees Celsius (9 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than rural areas, making residents of urban centres more susceptible to heat-related hazards, illnesses and death. Despite this threat we live in, people unconsciously feared other sickness and are less afraid of heat problem in Urban areas.
Far more deadly than other climate-related hazards, extreme heat is known as a ‘silent killer,’ striking without the same visibility and destruction that accompanies floods and hurricanes. It causes heat illness and exacerbates pre-existing chronic illnesses, such as heart and lung-related ailments.
As the Chief Heat Officer in the Mayor’s Delivery Unit (MDU) in the Freetown City Council, Eugenia Kargbo, the first chief heat officer in Africa, is building resilience for Freetown.
Appointing her as the heat officer shows that the climate crisis is an important issue that needs dedicated resources and attention in Freetown. Through her work, Eugenia is building up Freetown’s adaptive capacity and coming up with innovative solutions to the challenges the city faces.
Far more deadly than other climate-related hazards, extreme heat is known as a ‘silent killer,’ striking without the same visibility and destruction that accompanies floods and hurricanes. It causes heat illness and exacerbates pre-existing chronic illnesses, such as heart and lung-related ailments.
As the Chief Heat Officer in the Mayor’s Delivery Unit (MDU) in the Freetown City Council, Eugenia Kargbo, the first chief heat officer in Africa, is building resilience for Freetown.
Appointing her as the heat officer shows that the climate crisis is an important issue that needs dedicated resources and attention in Freetown. Through her work, Eugenia is building up Freetown’s adaptive capacity and coming up with innovative solutions to the challenges the city faces.
Credit: Sierra Loaded
