Reference no: EM133238637

Wet-bulb temperature can estimate what your skin temperature would be if you were constantly sweating, so it's often used to approximate how people would fare in extreme heat. To be clear, wet bulb temps tell you how cool you can possibly make your skin by evaporation.

A human internal body temperature of 36.8°C (98.2°F) requires skin temperatures of 35°C (95°F) to maintain a gradient directing heat outward from the core. Once the air temperature (dry-bulb) rises above this threshold, metabolic heat can only be shed by sweat evaporation. However, if wet bulb temperatures exceed 35°C (95°F), this means your skin can only cool to that high wet bulb temperature. Organ damage (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) from internal heat stress can occur if humans are directly exposed wet bulb temps equal to or greater than 95°F for three hours or more.

Studies project summertime wet bulb temperatures in Middle Eastern coastal areas to exceed 95°F regularly by 2050.

Discuss one adaptation measure that people in this region could pursue if these projections turn out to be true. How much does your answer depend on local poverty levels?