Statement

“Global Alliance for Life on Earth” - Statement by Dr Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, at a Meeting organized at the United States Library of Congress by the Institute for Policy Innovation, Washington DC, 26 June 2007.

During this weekend, the temperature reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Romania; as a result at least four people died. This was a stark reminder of the exceptional heat wave that engulfed Europe in August 2003, which led in a matter of days to the death of more than 22,000 people. According to the Prime Minister of France at that time, this was the worst health disaster since 1873. During this trying time, the French authorities endeavoured to draw from the experience acquired by the United States during the heat wave that battered Chicago in 1995 and led to the death of 485 people.

Publication Date
2007-06-26