In anticipation of the upcoming heatwave season in Lebanon, the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) has embarked on a comprehensive campaign to raise awareness and equip vulnerable people with the knowledge and resources they need to stay safe during extreme heat.
The campaign picked up steam on 2 June — Heat Action Day — when LRC volunteers took to the streets, distributing flyers containing preventive measures in numerous communities. They went to construction sites, gas stations, police stations, places of worship, supermarkets and pharmacies. They even left fliers on car windshields.
Recognizing the importance of hydration during extreme heat, the LRC also distributed water bottles to residents in targeted communities, prioritizing those most vulnerable to heat-related health risks.
The LRC also shared Heat Action Day flyers across its social media platforms, using the hashtag #BeatTheHeat, and encouraging their followers to re-share. The National Society is also actively engaging with the media to disseminate vital information about heatwave preparedness and preventative measures.
A member of the Lebanese Red Cross Disaster Risk Reduction team shares a water bottle with an elderly man as part of a comprehensive plan to get ahead of heatwave season.
Photo: Lebanese Red Cross
Beyond heat action day
But the National Society emphasized that these actions will continue well beyond Heat Action Day, an international day of events aimed at bringing attention to the increasing risk of heat waves.
“This initiative is beyond a single action day since as LRC we are actively promoting resilience and anticipation as a core humanitarian call, ensuring our permanent commitment to support communities and vulnerable groups”, said Kassem Chaalan, the Lebanese Red Cross’s Director of Disaster Risk Reduction.
Throughout the week just following Heat Action Day, the LRC conducted a massive awareness campaign on heatwaves within the Lebanese Territory. To address the heatwave season, LRC will continue to deliver awareness sessions through October.
A global day of action
The Lebanese Red Cross is just one of many National Societies that joined local and global organizations, private enterprises and individuals around the world to amplify their messages and prevention efforts during Heat Action Day.
For many, Heat Action Day is an opportunity to highlight actions they feel compelled to take due to increased number of heatwaves and extreme heat days caused by climate change. These actions are as varied as they are colorful and creative.
Volunteers for the Indian Red Cross hand out bottles of water and share information about how to stay healthy during heatwaves.
Photo: Indian Red Cross Society
The Indian Red Cross, for example, used the occasion to put the spotlight on the wide range of work its volunteers do throughout the country, setting up streetside water stations and handing out information about how to stay healthy during a heatwave, among many other activities.
The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) co-organized a workshop that centred around Extreme Heat Risk Study being done in partnership with a leading, Indonesian meteorological society based in Jakarta. It also launched a heat awareness campaign ithat coincided with Car Free Day in the city of Surabaya, encouraging community engagement in various eco-friendly Sunday morning activities, including parades, music and much more.
Carrying traditional Indonesian musical instruments, people march in a parade as part 'Car Free Day' in the city of Surabaya, Indonesia. The Indonesian Red Cross took part in the event to raise awareness about the dangers of heatwaves.
Photo: Indonesian Red Cross Society
Beyond the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Many organizations outside the Red Cross Red Crescent network also got involved.
As heat waves swept across mush of the Asia Pacific region, the Asian Development Bank took up the call, issuing statements and sponsoring workshops that promoted heatwave resilience and awareness about "heat stress" and the need for gender-responsive actions.
In Dallas, Texas, in the United States, high-school students put together an educational podcast to highlight steps that can be taken to mitigate rising temperatures as part of an environmental architecture class.
In Kampala, Uganda, a youth group used football to raise awareness by issuing eco-friendly gifts such as tree seedlings that aim to shift the balance between the number of trees being planted versus the number of trees being cut down.
In Zanzibar, Tanzania, scuba divers who often entertain tourists do their diving with displays encouraging people to drink more water, check on family members and other small but important preventive measures.
And around the world, people created paintings, large outdoor murals and other works of art as part of a global effort to raise awareness through art. These are just a few of the many ways in which people used Heat Action Day to spread the word, share ideas and bring more people to the task of taking action on extreme heat.