Surviving extreme heat increasingly boils down to this: access to air conditioning

‘Helping lower-income countries build reliable electricity systems is not simply a humanitarian obligation. It is also a strategic investment.’ Photograph: Cristina Quicler/AFP/Getty Images

This summer, much of the media’s attention has focused on record temperatures across Europe and the United States. Television coverage has been filled with familiar images: heat maps shaded deep red, schools closing, rail lines slowing, wildfires spreading and emergency rooms treating growing numbers of people with heat-related illnesses.

Public officials have responded with equally familiar advice: stay indoors, drink plenty of water and, if possible, turn on the air conditioning.