According to a new study investigating data over 30 years, all around the world, concluded that more than 1.53 lakh deaths a year were due to heatwaves, with over a fifth of these deaths, coming from India. India was followed by Russia and China, each facing roughly around 14 percent and 8 percent of these heatwaves, which were connected to many deaths.
A study which was led by Monash University, Australia, found that heatwave-linked excess deaths accounted for about a third of all heat-related deaths and 1 percent of total deaths globally. Researchers also found that of the overall 1.53 lakh excess deaths that occurred was during every summer, half came from Asia and more than 30 percent from Europe.
Furthermore, the largest estimated death rate which is deaths per population was seen in regions with dry climates and lower-middle incomes. For the study, the researchers used information from the UK-based Multi-Country Multi-City (MCC) Collaborative Research Network that included temperatures and daily deaths from 750 places across 43 countries. Comparing the decade up to 2019 with that up to 1999, the period of heat waves each year was found to have extended from 13.4 to 13.7 days on average around the world, with average ambient temperature warming by 0.35 degrees Celsius every decade.
The researchers said that while former studies have quantified excess deaths due to heatwaves locally, they have not compared these estimates across the globe over a prolonged duration. Heatwaves are connected with a substantial mortality burden that has differed spatiotemporally (with space and time) over the world during the past 30 years.
The authors say that the findings show that government actions taken to improve health sector adaptation and resilience can have potential benefits. They called for a comprehensive approach tackling not only immediate health risks during heatwaves but also implementing long-term strategies to minimize vulnerability and inequalities across communities.
The strategies include climate change mitigation policy, heat action plans such as, heat early warning system, urban planning and green structure, social support program, healthcare and public health services, education awareness, and community engagement and participation.
