Research projects to study impact of climate change diseases in S'pore on

As climate change looks set to result in hotter temperatures here, some researchers suggest that a heat warning system could help in managing the impact of chronic diseases exacerbated by heatwaves.

- Zhaki Abdullah

During heatwaves, where increased temperatures last for several days, such a warning system could be used to alert people with conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or a history of heart problems who are at greater risk of adverse health effects due to the heat - to stay indoors, said Assistant Professor Borame Dickens from the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.

This comes as Singapore's third National Climate Change Study, released in January, suggested the Republic could experience more extreme weather by the end of the century, such as more frequent dry spells and hotter days.

Data from the Meteorological Service Singapore's 2023 Annual Climate Assessment Report showed that 2023 was the fourth-warmest year on record for the Republic, with temperatures possibly getting even hotter in 2024.

A team of researchers, led by Prof Dickens, is looking at the long-term impact of climate change on such diseases here.

Their work uses agent-based modelling, in which computer simulations study interactions between different autonomous factors, to investigate the effects of climate change on health, she said.