Global heating is making hajj ever more dangerous, report finds | Climate crisis
New analysis has found that global warming is “fundamentally changing” Mecca’s climate, exposing millions of pilgrims to extreme and dangerous heat even in non-summer months.
The study showed that carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels now mean scorching temperatures of 40C (104F) are regularly experienced in May. In previous years, such peaks occurred only during the summer months. The Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, will take place amid dangerous heat almost year-round by the end of the century, without a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, researchers said.
Saudi Arabia, which hosts the Hajj pilgrimage, is the world’s second largest oil producer and hinders climate action in the long term.
Muslims around the world are celebrating the beginning of Eid-al-Adha as devotees in Mecca complete their rituals during this year’s pilgrimage. The pilgrimage follows the Islamic lunar calendar, meaning it falls earlier each year. All Muslims who are able to do so are expected to perform the pilgrimage at least once in their lives; This involves walking long distances outside for five days.
more than 1,300 pilgrims died Due to extreme heat and humidity in 2024, when the Hajj is in June. May has historically been cooler, with temperatures rarely reaching 40°C. But the analysis found that 40C is now expected in May every two to three years as a result of the climate crisis.
The average temperature in May is now 3.5 degrees higher than before human-caused global warming. As a result, the May pilgrimage “is now as dangerous as the highest temperature of the summer months,” scientists said. World Weather Citation group.
Saudi authorities have implemented heat action plans, including shaded walkways, cooling stations, fogging systems and expanded medical services. reduce cases of heat-related illness among pilgrims.
“But this requires more than reactive mitigation,” said study author Prof Friederike Otto from Imperial College London. to work. “If we do not rapidly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, a sector that is at the heart of the Saudi economy, we will be resigned to the fact that millions of Muslims will be forced to perform the pilgrimage in an environment that is not suitable for them.”
Dr Clair Barnes, also from Imperial College London, said: “Our analysis shows very clearly that less of the year is now safe for the millions of Muslims who wish to perform the Hajj pilgrimage. As long as we continue to burn fossil fuels, the window of tolerable Hajj temperatures will continue to narrow.”
The pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Islamic lunar calendar is 10-11 days shorter than the solar Gregorian calendar used in most of the world. As a result, pilgrimage dates change earlier each year according to the seasons, and the pilgrimage continues in all seasons for a cycle of approximately 33 years.
If global temperatures increase by 3°C by the end of the century, approximately 97% of pilgrims will be exposed to dangerous temperature levels in Mecca, in line with the course of world climate policies. 2022 survey to create. “Therefore, a rapid transition away from fossil fuels is essential to prevent even more dangerous pilgrimage,” the Imperial researchers said.
Dr. from the Copenhagen Disaster Research Center. Emmanuel Raju said: “Extreme heat during the Hajj poses a unique humanitarian challenge as millions of people spend days in the outdoors. Measures such as misting fans and water stations are vital, but we must face the fact that if temperatures continue to rise at this rate, the health and lives of millions of people will be at risk during the Hajj.”
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah of Saudi Arabia has been contacted for comment.
