Deadly heatwave impacts labour, health and tourism
By Alberto Leny, July 17, 2025The sun has always been regarded as a blessing in Africa, with its tropical climate offering sunshine virtually throughout the year and two rainfall seasons, which yield a unique, rich ecosystem and biodiversity.
Sunshine is also seen as good in continents such as Europe, North America and the Far East that experience long, cold temperatures and only “enjoy the nice weather” during summer. But not in recent years when the sun has become “too hot”.
People Daily interviewed experts to explore how the climate change and global warming-induced extreme heatwave, which forced the shutdown of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, reflects broader climate-related risks and responses.
The landmark 2,500-year-old Acropolis and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical Greek spirit and civilisation. It attracts tens of thousands of tourists each day. Last year, it recorded 4.5 million visitors.
Greece last week shut down the Acropolis and imposed midday work bans as a dangerous heatwave scorched the region, pushing temperatures to above 40°C (104°F) and leading to fire alerts and severe weather warnings across the Balkans.
Heatwaves, or heat and hot weather that can last for several days, can have a significant impact on society, including a rise in heat-related deaths, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). A rapid 10-day analysis study conducted by researchers in Athens, Madrid, London, Paris, and Rome during the latest heatwave, attributed an estimated 2,300 deaths across Europe to heat.
Resilience lessons
Heatwaves are among the most dangerous of natural hazards, but rarely receive adequate attention because their death tolls and destruction are not always immediately obvious. A study found that from 2000 to 2019 approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred each year, including more than 70,000 who died during the 2003 heatwave in Europe.
Expert views on labour policy, public safety, and tourism resilience amid extreme heat, their implications and the Acropolis example resonate in other tourist destinations in Africa including Kenya, where the impacts of climate change – severe droughts and floods – are especially acute.
African countries can draw lessons on tourism resilience and operational responses during climate disruptions, and the public health risks of prolonged heatwaves, especially in underserved regions.
Jeff Le, a public-sector navigation, communications and policy consultancy and a Fellow at George Mason University’s National Security Institute, shared thoughts from a resilience policy perspective when he was previously deputy cabinet secretary under former California Governor Jerry Brown.
This work included response, recovery and resilience efforts after disaster events. He also served as the State’s federal coordinator with the first Trump Administration and liaised with the CA Congressional Delegation.
Jeff led the cyber, AI, emerging tech, natural disasters, homeland and disaster response, economic development, and federal portfolios for the California State Government. His responsibilities exposed him to how extreme heat is reshaping labour policy on, among others, midday work bans and heat safety regulations.
“In California, the temperatures can soar in various parts of the State. Beyond smog, smoke, and fire risks, California’s OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) places an emphasis on workers who have an outside duty station, to include water provisions, protective equipment, cool-down areas and mandatory breaks, and trainings for heat illness, Jeff told People Daily.
“This is especially a focus for the giant agriculture and construction industries in the State. The impacts on productivity and quality of work are a focus for communities and policymakers, especially in multiple languages”.
On tourism resilience and operational responses during climate disruptions, Jeff says the cost of extreme weather in California is in the billions, as evidenced most recently by the US$30-plus billion damaged by the LA fires. The impact on tourism, operational response, and deeper impacts on communities and workforce are substantial.
There have been efforts to amend construction laws to provide more flexibility, including recently enacted amendments to CEQA, which can potentially expedite infrastructure and construction to move faster in times of post-crisis.
While California’s tourism industry expects over US$160 billion forecast this year, impacts could be felt on immigration, transportation and visas controlled by the Federal Government. The timing is notable given the upcoming football World Cup and Olympics in the US.
Andrew Markowitz, a professional meteorologist in the energy sector and a TikTok weather influencer, with over 145 followers who reached over 30 million people last year, says global temperatures continue to rise due to climate change. Summer 2025 is the hottest on record in Europe, fuelled by an anomalous marine heat wave in the Mediterranean.
This has caused an intense heat dome to build overhead. Not only fuelling record high air temperatures, it also increases the wet bulb temperatures, which leads to additional heat stress due to the humidity.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that the infrastructure in various European cities may not be fully equipped to handle this extreme weather, and that will result in disruptions to daily life. In turn, that means we’ll see impacts to tourism, like we just saw with the Acropolis shutting down during peak heating hours, says Markowitz, noting that climate change may increase both the duration and intensity of heat waves in Europe and around the globe, so it’s important that local governances are proactive rather than reactive in mitigating the risk.
Serine Lee, CEO, New-born Nursery Furniture in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, says extreme heat is increasingly reshaping labour policy as governments and industries confront the growing health risks to outdoor and manual workers.
“In response to record-breaking temperatures, several regions have implemented midday work bans, particularly in construction and agriculture, to prevent heat-related illnesses,” says Lee.
“Heat safety regulations are also expanding, mandating access to shade, hydration, rest breaks, and training on recognising heat stress. Some US states like California and Oregon have enacted occupational heat standards, while federal efforts are underway to establish nationwide protections”.
Balaram Thapa, CEO, Nepal Hiking Team in Kathmandu, Nepal who has been running treks in the Himalayas for over 20 years, has seen how extreme heat is quietly changing how they operate—especially in places where there’s no formal system to protect people working in outdoor tourism.
“We used to worry about cold and altitude. Now, we’re adjusting to 35°C heat at 2,000 meters, earlier in the season than ever before. That’s not normal for Nepal.
“There’s no heat policy here—no midday bans or government alerts. So, we’ve had to create our own rules. We start treks earlier, take more breaks, carry electrolytes, and watch for signs of heat stress in both trekkers and staff. We’ve also had to train our guides differently. What used to be “common sense” is now safety protocol, Thapa told People Daily.
He says this kind of response might apply well in parts of Africa too, especially where closing tourism sites during heatwaves isn’t an option. “Europe can afford to shut down monuments—but in rural destinations, that’s not realistic. The answer is making operations flexible, educating local teams, and empowering staff to act quickly when conditions change.
“To me, future heat adaptation in tourism isn’t about big systems—it’s about field-level awareness and giving people the tools to respond on the ground”.