Climate change linked to nearly 100,000 heatwave deaths in 2023 - Study

MELBOURNE - Nearly 100,000 deaths from the unprecedented heatwaves of 2023 were attributed to human-induced climate change, according to an Australian-led global study, reported Xinhua.

The study found that 2023’s record-breaking heatwaves caused 178,486 excess deaths worldwide, equivalent to 23 deaths per million, with more than half linked to human-driven climate change.

Based on climate and mortality data from 2,013 locations across 67 countries and regions, the international research team found that roughly 54 per cent of these fatalities - nearly 97,000 deaths - were attributable to manmade global warming.

The researchers found the 2023 heatwaves occurred during the hottest year on record, 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 Australia's Monash University and global partners.

Heatwave-related deaths were concentrated in subtropical and temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, where prolonged extreme temperatures exacerbated 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 in the context of increasing global warming," it said. - BERNAMA-XINHUA