Federal Government takes action to tackle heat waves

The Federal Government has been coordinating with the ministries of Environment and Climate Change (Meio Ambiente e Mudança do Clima /MMA), Education (Educação /MEC), and Health (Saúde /MS) to tackle the heat waves affecting the country, which have been worsened by climate change. The goal is to raise public awareness about the necessary precautions for dealing with rising temperatures and implement measures to mitigate their impact, especially in schools.

In January, the global average temperature was 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900), according to Copernicus, the European Union's climate observatory. Brazil is experiencing the effects of global warming, including the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as severe heatwaves. Intense temperatures are expected for the coming weeks, according to the National Institute of Meteorology (Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia /INMET), particularly in the southern part of the country. In some municipalities, thermometers are expected to exceed 40°C.

RESILIENT GREEN CITIES - The Ministry of the Environment (MMA) has been working to build the country's resilience to the impacts of climate change. One of its action initiatives is the Resilient Green Cities Program (Programa Cidades Verdes Resilientes), which aims to improve environmental quality and prepare municipalities to deal with climate change. The program is implemented through actions based on six thematic pillars: green spaces and urban tree planting; sustainable land use and occupation; green and blue infrastructure and nature-based solutions; low carbon technologies; and sustainable urban mobility and urban waste management.

ADAPTACIDADES - Under the program's umbrella is the AdaptaCidades initiative, which will provide technical support to help states and municipalities develop local and regional adaptation plans. By adhering to the project, state governments must select ten municipalities with a high climate risk index to receive the training. Intermunicipal consortiums and municipal associations may also benefit from the project on an exceptional basis. Nominations will be approved by the Ministry of the Environment based on technical criteria, considering climate risk and the number of people in social vulnerability. So far, 21 states have joined the initiative.

CLIMATE PLAN - The Resilient Green Cities Program and AdaptaCidades are aligned with the Climate Plan (Plano Clima), which serves as the guide for climate change mitigation actions in Brazil until 2035. Developed by 23 ministries, under the presidency of the Office of the Chief Of Staff and coordination of the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), one of the plan’s pillars focuses on the adaptation of natural and human systems to the impacts of climate change. The second pillar is dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation), whose high concentrations in the atmosphere cause global warming.

SECTORAL - In addition to the National Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies, Plano Clima will consist of sectoral plans: seven for mitigation and sixteen for adaptation. It also includes Cross-Cutting Strategies for Climate Action, which will define implementation means (such as financing, governance, and capacity building) and measures for a just transition, among other points.

FANS - The Ministry of Education (MEC) has reinstated the price registration records managed by the National Fund for Education Development (Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação /FNDE), allowing federated entities to benefit from economies of scale and access standardized, high-quality products without having to conduct their own bidding processes. Instead, they can opt into the FNDE's price registration system. A record is already available for purchasing school fans, and a registration for air conditioning units is expected in the first half of 2025.

HEAT WAVES - Heatwaves are characterized by extremely high temperatures that exceed the expected levels for a given region and time of year. These periods of intense heat can last for days or weeks and are exacerbated by global warming, which has increased both the frequency and intensity of heat in various parts of the world.

ISLANDS - These episodes are amplified in urban areas due to the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon where the concentration of buildings, concrete, and asphalt retains more heat, further increasing temperatures.

VULNERABLE - The health of the entire population can be affected in these situations, especially the most vulnerable—such as the elderly, children, people with kidney, heart, respiratory, or circulation problems, diabetics, pregnant women, and the homeless. Excessive heat can cause dizziness, weakness, headaches, nausea, excessive sweating, and skin changes. Medical assistance should be sought upon noticing these symptoms.

PRECAUTIONS - In terms of precautions for personal protection, recommendations include drinking water regularly, even if not thirsty; avoiding sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; wearing light clothing, hats, and sunglasses; cooling off with cold showers and damp towels; and never leaving people or animals in closed vehicles.