Climate Change Results in 37 Percent Heat-Related Deaths Annually

Heat-related death is a major problem, and climate change is only fuelling up the cases. Approximately more than one-third of heat deaths are linked in some way or the other to human-caused climate change.

According to a new study in Nature Climate Change, the conclusion was made based on data from 732 places in 43 countries from a time period of 1991-2018. More people have died from extreme weather conditions amplified by global warming like storms, floods and droughts – as the numbers grow with rising temperatures. The researchers used information like heat deaths and temperature recordings of the places to create models that helped to correlate the deaths caused by climate change.

Image: Time

It is estimated that nearly 166,000 people have died from heat between 1998 and 2017, according to World Health Organisation. Climate change has exposed more people to deadly heatwaves than ever before.

Also Read: South Asia to Experience Routine Heatwaves Post 2040

However, this study has not yet considered many areas of Africa and Southeast Asia due to a lack of information. Gathering data in these regions has become extremely important in the future to create global accounting for heat-related death cases. These are the poorest and the most susceptible countries to climate change, and are projected to be hotspots for future population growth.

These are some of the problems of climate change that future generations will face, making it difficult to track the history and impact in these most affected areas on the planet.This research complements the other research which proves that climate change is an ongoing disaster to human health. Older people are more vulnerable to heat-related deaths. Also, some areas are worse than others, with extreme conditions and weather occurring more frequently than predicted.

Via: The Verge