Climate change and sports: an overview of the influences of climate conditions on the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management

ISSN: 1756-8692

Article publication date: 13 May 2014

1253

Citation

Filho, W.L. (2014), "Climate change and sports: an overview of the influences of climate conditions on the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil", International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Vol. 6 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-01-2014-0010

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Climate change and sports: an overview of the influences of climate conditions on the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Volume 6, Issue 2

Welcome to another issue of IJCCSM. Readers will find in this issue a further set of international papers which explore the links between climate change and society, with a particular emphasis to mitigation and adaptation strategies. In this editorial, I would like to describe an important issue, related to one of the major sports event in 2014.

Climate change is a process known to have an impact on a wide range of activities, from agriculture to tourism. It has also many social implications, varying from employment to the displacement of communities. Its many impacts have drawn much attention over the past years. One area which has comparatively been less investigated, and where a perceived need for research exists, is in the field of climate change and sports. In particular, the forthcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup, to be held in Brazil in June 2014, offers a good example of the connections between climate conditions and sport activities, which this Editorial now describes.

To be held from 12 June to 13 July 2014, the 2014 FIFA World Cup is a major highlight of the sports calendar of this year. The 64 matches of the tournament, which involves teams from 31 countries, will be held across 12 cities spread all over Brazil, and are expected to draw much attention and a comprehensive media coverage. The host cities for the matches are:

* Belo Horizonte (south-east region).

* Brasilia (central region).

* Cuiabá (central region).

* Curitiba (southern region).

* Fortaleza (north-east region).

* Manaus (northern region).

* Natal (north-east region).

* Porto Alegre (southern region).

* Recife (southern region).

* Rio de Janeiro (south-east region).

* Salvador (southern region).

* Sao Paulo (south-east region).

These cities are sometimes close to one another (e.g. Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo) but are often separated by distances varying from a few hundred to several thousand kilometers, and will therefore require significant long-distance travel for the national teams.

One element which has largely been overlooked in the preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, is the connection between climate change, variable climate conditions and their impacts on the performance of players.

As many developing countries, Brazil is vulnerable to climate change in the sense that this global phenomena has been having an impact on crop production and hydrogeological cycles in the country, as well as in other areas. Added to this, is the fact that Brazil does not have the resources or infra-structure needed to properly cope with changing climate conditions. There are a number of climate factors, which are expected to play a role in the performance of the players during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Some of them are:

Rainfalls. The months of June and July are often rather dry months in Brazil’s south-east region (i.e. Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo), but with much rainfall in the north-east and some coastal regions. In these areas, heavy rains are common in this period, and often flood streets and cause landslides, especially in the periphery areas of large cities such as Salvador, or Fortaleza, where some of the matches will be held. Throughout June, the most common forms of precipitation are thunderstorms, followed by moderate rain, and light rain.

Temperature. Even though the months of June and July are usually among the coldest ones, temperatures do vary among the host cities, ranging from 15°C to 25°C in central parts of the country, going up to 28°C in the north-east, but dropping to 10°C or less in southern Brazil, depending on the location. In Manaus, close to the Amazon rainforest, temperatures may reach 32°C in June. The differences in temperatures mean that players may hold a match in a city where they will experience 25°C in one day, and a further match a few days later elsewhere, where it will be much cooler. Or the other way round.

Humidity. The humidity is likely to also have an influence on the performance of the players. This is particularly so in relation to the matches to be held in the north-east (around 70 percent) or in Manaus, in northern Brazil. Due to its proximity to the rainforests, humidity in Manaus may vary between 70 and 90 percent, a fact which will no doubt test not only their physical conditions, but also the ability of the players to cope with the stress posed by humidity in a high performance sport.

But even though one has to be aware of the links between climate conditions and sports, it is unlikely rainfall, temperature or humidity will take away all the fun and the joy an event of this nature brings about. By all measures, the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the first one to be held in the country after the 1950 games, is expected to be a great success. Football players, national delegations and visitors alike will certainly be warmly welcome in Brazil, which is among the friendliest and hospitable nations in the world.

Enjoy your reading!

Walter Leal Filho

References

Leal Filho, W. (2014), “Climate change and sports: an overview of the influences of climate conditions on the FIFA 2014 World Cup in Brazil”, International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, Vol. 6 No. 2

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