Global warming has caused more than one in three heat-related deaths, says study

A new study indicates that between 1991 and 2018, more than a third of all deaths in which heat played a role were attributable to human-induced global warming.

Using data from 732 locations in 43 countries around the world, researchers say it shows for the first time the actual contribution of man-made climate change in increasing mortality risks due to heat.

The estimates indicate that 37% of all heat-related deaths in the recent summer periods were attributable to the warming of the planet due to human activities.

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Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the University of Bern within the Multi-Country Multi-City (MCC) Collaborative Research Network also estimate the number of deaths from human-induced climate change that occurred in specific cities.

There were 136 additional deaths per year in Santiago (44.3% of total heat-related deaths in the city), 189 in Athens (26.1%), 172 in Rome (32%), 156 in Tokyo (35.6%), 177 in Madrid (31.9%), 146 in Bangkok (53.4%), 82 in London (33.6%), 141 in New York (44.2%), and 137 in Ho Chi Minh City (48.5%).

The findings are based on simulations of climate, with and without human-induced emissions.

Source: Evening Standard