El Surtidor, an independent news outlet from Paraguay, documented the work experiences of delivery app workers who have to deal with extreme heat, one of the consequences of climate change. The country is the most vulnerable in South America to the climate crisis.
More recurring events such as floods and rising temperatures put Paraguay's infrastructure and the population at risk. In addition, the country has registered record-high temperatures. The capital, Asunción, reached 40.8 degrees Celsius (105.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in January, the highest that has ever been documented in history, according to official accounts. However, there are no plans to protect the most vulnerable against the effects of extreme heat in the cities, especially delivery workers.
There are numerous scientific studies that describe the impact of heat strain on workers’ health, but journalistic coverage of this specific topic at a local and regional level is limited. News outlets have covered delivery app workers as an emerging workforce, but close attention to how extreme climate crisis events affect them is still needed.
What do delivery workers have to go through when temperatures rise to 35 to 40 degrees Celsius (95 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit)? What do their bodies experience? How do they cope? Do they have access to drinking water or proper clothing to protect themselves? These are some of the questions El Surtidor addresses in this reporting project.
