The heat wave of this summer is acting like a roller coaster. Over the past few years, Bangladesh and the rest of the world have been hit by extreme heat waves. Now is the perfect moment to turn on our thinking caps and discover why these heat waves are turning into the new normal everywhere.

Even when we can't see summer, we can still feel its warmth. Summer weather brings with it heat waves, and we are all feeling the scorching heat. We enjoy visiting green villages as the temperature gradually rises because they provide more shade and a cooler environment.

Large cities and towns trap more heat in the summer months under their concrete sidewalks and buildings. In general, cities heat up more quickly than rural regions do, and the temperature feels a few degrees higher there. The term "Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect" describes this phenomenon, which causes temperatures in metropolitan areas to be greater than in surrounding locations.

This phenomenon is especially relevant to Bangladesh's contemporary metropolises, such as Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Chattogram. An illustration of UHI is provided below:

As a result of the heat wave, animals seek out cooler locations, plants scream for water, fish move to far-off, chilly waters, and birds seek safety in the forests. Even the air has a burned charcoal scent, and the surroundings are losing their colour. Forest fires and unintentional fires also happen regularly as a result of the heightened fire hazard.

The reason for all of the aforementioned events is hot weather, and in reality, humans bear the most of the blame. 70,000 individuals died worldwide in 2023 alone from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses. Numerous nations have designated "Heat Officers" to reduce the impact of excessive heat.

Now, if we investigate the causes of this atmospheric overheating, we will discover that greenhouse gas emissions, excessive fossil fuel use, and human economic activity are the primary culprits. However, it is also true that the use of air conditioners (AC) and fast urbanisation are negatively impacting the atmosphere in the same ways.

A US Research study found that the heat generated by air conditioning equipment heats the surrounding air, intensifying heat waves. It even intensifies the heat in the atmosphere, making it scorching up to three degrees Celsius.

The number of ACs used globally in 2023 was one billion, and due to rising living standards, it is predicted that by 2030, this will have increased to 4.5 billion. We can therefore mitigate some damage by restricting the use of air conditioning, and to achieve this, we must all turn to antiquated or mediaeval forms of refrigeration.

In a few of their designs, contemporary architects are already utilising antiquated cooling systems. It is now our responsibility to use less fossil fuel and a lesser number of air conditioning and other technological gadgets. Some people are even attempting to live off the grid in certain western nations.

The Pacific Northwest was warned by weathercasters in 2021 of an impending extreme heat wave. Indeed, in 2023, the same thing occurred in the USA and Europe, and both times a large number of people perished. Massive hurricanes and tornadoes are another result of heat waves.

Every year, more and more people become climate refugees as a result of these disasters. Earth's fault lines also fracture as a result of extreme heat waves. As a result, earthquakes are happening often on every continent.                       
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The writer is a military officer presently serving in Boarder Guard Bangladesh