August 31st 2024.
As the summer Olympics came to an end this year, the city of Athens was facing a crisis - wildfires were raging through the suburbs, turning the sky above the Acropolis into a fiery orange. It was a sight straight out of a nightmare, with flames reaching a terrifying height of 25 meters. If the city had been chosen to host the 2024 games, the headlines would have been far worse than just athletes getting drenched in the rain. However, this was not an isolated incident. With the changing climate, such occurrences are becoming more and more common, especially in the Mediterranean region.
This poses a major challenge for the modern summer Olympics, as the number of cities that can safely host the games is rapidly decreasing. With rising temperatures and extreme weather becoming the new normal, many cities will simply be too hot for athletes to compete in and for spectators to enjoy. This means that the pool of potential hosts will shrink, leaving only those in the most temperate areas, or bringing about significant changes like holding events indoors or changing the time of year in which the games are held.
According to Andy Love from Shade the UK, a London-based organization, the issue is not just about choosing cities that are cooler, but also about ensuring that these cities are equipped to handle the changing climate. For example, some cities like Qatar, which hosted the World Cup in 2022, have scorching temperatures but also have the financial resources to install industrial-strength air conditioning. But if cooling systems become a necessity for hosting the games, it will create a barrier for many poorer countries and have a negative impact on sustainability.
So which cities could potentially be ruled out as hosts due to their hot climate? A map depicting projected changes in climate between 2041 and 2070 shows that much of Europe and the US will experience significant changes. Some previous Olympic hosts, such as Athens, London, Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, and Rome, may struggle to host the games in the future due to extreme weather conditions.
Athens, the birthplace of the Olympics, may never get the chance to welcome the games back home due to soaring temperatures. This summer, temperatures in the Mediterranean and Balkans reached over 40°C, causing travel warnings to be issued. London, the city that has hosted the games three times, is not designed to deal with extreme heat. With millions of visitors needing transportation and accommodation during the games, it is crucial to ensure that the existing infrastructure is up to scratch.
Rio de Janeiro, the host of the 2014 World Cup, has also faced challenges due to wildfires and extreme weather conditions. This year alone, Brazil has experienced one of the worst wildfire seasons in its history. In addition to the threat of wildfires, the city is vulnerable to other natural disasters such as landslides, flooding, and sea level rise. Beijing, the only city to have hosted both the summer and winter Olympics, is also facing extreme heat, smog, and humidity. The record-breaking temperatures in June last year made it difficult for the city to host the games.
Rome, like London, has a rich history dating back to ancient times. However, this also means that its buildings and infrastructure are not designed to withstand extreme heat. Every summer, heat-related deaths spike in the city, and with average temperatures rising, the biggest challenge facing Rome is its risk of flooding. With much of the city built on impermeable soil, heavy rainfall can cause devastating floods, as seen in the past.
The most obvious reason why the Olympics cannot be held in hot weather is the danger it poses to the athletes who are already pushing their bodies to the limit. According to projections, by 2050, many parts of the eastern US will experience wet bulb temperatures above 32°C, making it unsafe to work outdoors. This also applies to other potential host cities in India, Africa, Southern Europe, and East Asia.
To adapt to the changing climate, one simple solution is to change the date of the games. Instead of the traditional July and August dates, the Olympics could be held in late September, as it was in Seoul in 1988 and Sydney in 2000. This would require the least amount of effort, as opposed to moving events indoors, which would require significant changes and potentially rule out many poorer countries. However, for events like the marathon, it may be possible to hold them indoors without compromising their integrity. Another solution could be to hold events early in the morning or late in the evening, when temperatures are not as high and there is more shade available.
In conclusion, the changing climate is posing a major challenge for the modern summer Olympics. With extreme weather events becoming more common, many cities may become too hot to safely host the games. This means that changes will need to be made, whether it is shifting the date of the games or holding events indoors. But with proper adaptation and planning, the Olympics can continue to be a global event that unites athletes and spectators from all over the world.
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