DURHAM, North Carolina—-
ADOS Empowerment Project members traveled to Durham, North Carolina, to attend the HeatWise Policy Partnership Summit at Duke University’s Institute of Energy, Environment, and Sustainability. Leo Carney of ADOS Mississippi was one of the discussants on a panel of researchers and experts who examined extreme heat and its impacts on vulnerable rural populations. Mississippi has a large, impoverished rural population that is susceptible to the effects of climate change. Diabetes, Obesity, and other health risks are also contributing factors to morbidity during extreme heat waves.
Many farmers face crop losses due to a lack of water supply during extreme heat waves.
Mississippi’s Agricultural ecosystem is exceptionally vulnerable to climate disasters and bouts of extreme heat. Farmers who face severe drought must sell their livestock or use feed they store for the winter months. Many farmers face crop losses due to a lack of water supply during extreme heat waves. Water shortages put an enormous financial burden on Mississippians and their food supply, which erodes an already fragile ecosystem. According to a 2020 article by Climate Change Resources, “Mississippi has the highest poverty rate in the US, with nearly 20% of the state’s residents living below the poverty line, and with the lowest ranking healthcare system.”
The present socio-economic factors in Mississippi compound challenges posed by climate change, manifesting in extreme heat, drought, and sea level rise. Mississippi is the 5th hottest state in America. Today, Mississippi averages 25 days a year when heat exceeds dangerous levels. That number may rise from 100 days to 100 days annually by 2050. The severity of droughts will increase by over 100% by 2050 in Mississippi. Agriculture and forestry are Mississippi’s biggest industries, so the outcomes of these intersecting factors will have significant consequences for the state’s economy.
