By Faridat Salifu
Purdue University researchers recently have predicted that climate change will render regions of West Africa, South Asia, and the Midwest of the United States increasingly dangerous for human life in the coming years.
The study highlights that densely populated areas with limited access to air conditioning, particularly in West Africa and parts of South Asia, are among the most vulnerable.
While wealthier nations will fare better, they will not be immune to the impacts. The research indicates that extreme humid heat will become more common in parts of the US, including the Midwest, as global temperatures rise.
The searing-hot summers of today will likely be considered mild compared to future conditions, with heat intensifying in ways detrimental to human health.
Jane Baldwin, assistant professor of Earth system science at the University of California Irvine, noted that extreme, humid heat is persisting through the night, depriving the body of crucial recuperation time.
The study also warns of more frequent back-to-back heat waves, which will hit regions with successive cycles of extreme heat.
The World Health Organisation estimates that heat already claims approximately 489,000 lives annually, though the actual toll is likely higher due to the difficulty in tracking heat-related deaths.
Heart attacks or strokes occurring during heat waves may not be recorded as heat-related fatalities, Bharat Venkat, director of the UCLA Heat Lab, pointed out.
Heat is a pervasive threat, lacking the immediate and visible destruction of hurricanes, wildfires, or floods. Instead, it causes insidious damage to the human body, making it an “invisible, silent killer,” Venkat explained.
As climate change progresses, the health risks associated with extreme heat will only increase, demanding urgent attention and action.