Melbourne : Climate change heatwave deaths reached alarming levels in 2023, with nearly 100,000 people losing their lives to unprecedented heatwaves linked to human-induced global warming, according to an Australian-led global study.
The study released Tuesday found that unprecedented heatwaves in 2023 caused an estimated 178,486 excess deaths worldwide, equivalent to 23 deaths per million, with more than half attributable to anthropogenic climate change.
The international team of researchers analysed climate and mortality data from 2,013 locations in 67 countries and regions, showing that about 54 per cent of heatwave-related deaths — nearly 97,000 fatalities — were due to human-induced climate change.
The researchers reported that the 2023 heatwaves occurred during the hottest year on record, with global temperatures rising 1.45 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Southern Europe recorded the highest 2023 heatwave death rate at 120 per million, followed by Eastern and Western Europe, according to researchers from Monash University, Australia, and global partners, Xinhua news agency reported.
Heatwave-related deaths were concentrated in subtropical and temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, where prolonged extreme temperatures worsened cardiovascular, respiratory and other chronic health conditions, the study said.
The findings highlight “the urgent need for adaptive public health interventions and climate mitigation strategies to reduce future mortality burdens amid rising global warming,” it said.
According to a government report released on September 15, millions of Australian homes will be at risk from rising sea levels, and heat-related deaths will more than double if global warming exceeds 3 degrees Celsius.
Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA), released by the Australian Climate Service (ACS), found that 1.5 million coastal homes would be at risk from rising sea levels by 2050 if warming surpasses 3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
By 2090, the report said, more than 3 million homes could face danger from rising sea levels if warming exceeds that threshold.
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Such shifts can occur naturally due to solar activity or volcanic eruptions. However, since the 1800s, human activities — primarily the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas — have driven most of the warming.
Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases (GHGs) that act like a blanket around the Earth, trapping heat and increasing global temperatures.
The main greenhouse gases responsible for climate change include carbon dioxide and methane. These come from activities such as driving vehicles that burn gasoline or using coal for heating. Deforestation and land clearing also release carbon dioxide, while agriculture, oil and gas operations are major sources of methane emissions. The energy, industry, transport, building, agriculture, and land-use sectors are the main contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions.
–IANS
