The Grand Canyon Is Getting More Dangerous to Visit Each Year
A new study predicts a much harsher climate for visitors.
Extreme heat in national parks has already prompted the National Park Service to release guidance on how to stay safe, as temperatures reached historic triple digits in certain parts of the country in July. According to a new study from NPS researchers and scientists, that heat is only going to make visiting national parks more dangerous in the near future. The study, published on August 9 in Plos One, posited that visitors of Grand Canyon National Park and other public lands will be more likely to experience heat-related illnesses due to an increasing number of extreme heat events.
"Exposure to excessive heat can result in heat related illnesses (HRIs) and long-term poor health outcomes," the study states. "Physical exertion, sudden exposure to excessive heat, and the lack of physical or behavioral adaptation resources are all associated with greater HRI risk, which is expected to increase for visitors to Grand Canyon National Park and other public lands as climate change worsens."
Heat-related illnesses include heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps, sunburn, and heat rash. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of these conditions can be easily treated, but others can be more severe and result in serious injury and even death. Elderly people, disabled people, children, low-income people, outdoor workers, athletes, and pregnant people face a disproportionate risk of experiencing heat-related illnesses.
According to the study, the risk of heat-related illnesses is predicted to increase as predicted temperatures increase year-round. For Grand Canyon National Park visitors, the likelihood of experiencing heat-related illness is projected to increase 29% to 137% between now and 2100, compared to the likelihood in the years between 2004 and 2009.
One purpose of the study was to understand "how land management agencies can update risk mitigation strategies to match changing risk and better manage" the greater risk of heat-related illnesses. One key component in preventing these risks to visitors and to the public at large is increased awareness about the dangers of extreme heat and how to stay safe.
"By highlighting the impacts of climate change to national park visitors, the NPS therefore may engage broader audiences in the conversation about climate change impacts on human health and the need for adaptation and mitigation than through approaches that focus on personal impacts alone," the study states.
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