In Kuwait this week, La Isla Network (LIN) took a major step toward addressing the growing challenge of heat stress.
Jason Glaser, CEO of La Isla Network and a 2024 TIME 100 Next honoree, presented on the critical impacts of occupational heat stress at the Harvard Club of Kuwait and engaged with key stakeholders at the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Science (KFAS). Joining Glaser was Dr. Barrak Alahmad, who is a LIN Researcher, Instructor in Environmental Health and Director of Climate Change and Occupational Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The reception was promising, with presentation participants expressing strong support. LIN will be moving forward with a study to evaluate risk, collect critical data and make actionable policy recommendations to protect workers from extreme heat.
This collaboration signals a growing recognition of the need for evidence-based solutions to climate-related health challenges. KFAS, acting as a bridge between research, government, and industry, could play a pivotal role in implementing meaningful change. Moreover, LIN is identifying a local team in Kuwait to develop on-the-ground operations.
The focus of discussions was clear: heat stress is not just a workplace issue but a societal one, affecting industries, workers, and even young athletes. On Sunday, Glaser and Dr. Alahmad presented a proposal to KFAS that would measure heat stress against current Kuwaiti regulations and international benchmarks like ACGIH and NIOSH, and improve on both via data-backed research conducted by LIN.
Key areas of interest include construction, oil and gas, delivery workers, and children’s sports — vulnerable populations most exposed to rising temperatures.
These meetings set the stage for further collaboration, raising hopes for a united effort to mitigate heat stress. LIN will continue to transform data into impactful solutions, and is enthusiastic about forthcoming work in Kuwait and the region.
The upcoming project could set a new benchmark for how Kuwait — and the broader Gulf region — responds to occupational safety and health challenges.
La Isla Network is an occupational health research and advisory nonprofit dedicated to ending heat-related illnesses among workers and their communities worldwide. We develop and implement data-driven worker protection and management assessment protocols to improve the resiliency of workforces and businesses to heat stress. Our work is backed by best-in-class researchers, industry leaders and government and multilateral institutions like the ILO. For more information please use our contact form.
