Alarming Study Estimates the Number of Climate Change Victims by the End of the Century!
A new study conducted by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry has revealed
alarming estimates regarding the number of people who might die due to climate change by the
year 2100.
The research team used an advanced digital simulation to estimate deaths attributed to extreme
temperatures and air pollution.
The team’s analysis predicts that 30 million people could die by the end of the century due to
climate change and air pollution.
According to Dr. Andrea Pozzer, the team leader, approximately 1.6 million people died annually
in 2000 due to the effects of extreme temperatures, either from intense heat or severe cold.
If current conditions persist, it is expected that this number will rise to 10.8 million people
annually by the end of the century, indicating an increase of up to 7 times.
Regarding air pollution:
Annual deaths resulting from pollution in 2000 were around 4.1 million people, and this number
is expected to increase to 19.5 million by 2100, a 5-fold increase.
The study shows that the health impacts of climate change will be unevenly distributed across
different regions of the world. It is anticipated that South and Southeast Asia will be among the
most affected due to an aging population and persistent air pollution.
Conversely, in high-income regions like Western Europe, North America, and Australia, deaths
related to extreme heat are expected to surpass those related to air pollution. In some countries
like the United States, the UK, France, Japan, and New Zealand, this shift has already begun,
where extreme temperatures are causing more deaths than air pollution.
It is expected that disparities in the health impacts of climate change will increase in the future,
with extreme temperatures posing a greater health threat in middle-income countries like Poland
and Romania in Eastern Europe, and also in some South American countries like Argentina and
Chile. By 2100, dangerous temperatures are expected to become a primary cause of mortality in
various parts of the world, with its impacts affecting about 20% of the global population.
Dr. Pozzer stated: “Climate change is not just an environmental issue; it’s a direct threat to public health.”
Jean Sciare, Director of the Climate and Atmospheric Research Center at the Cyprus Institute,
added: “These findings highlight the urgent need for immediate measures to mitigate the effects
of climate change and prevent future loss of life.”
This study comes shortly after the release of the annual United Nations report, which warned that
the world is on track for a temperature rise of 3.1 degrees Celsius this century, constituting an
environmental and health disaster.
According to the report, if current efforts to combat climate change continue as they are, the
world will face a temperature increase ranging from 2.6 to 3.1 degrees Celsius by the end of the
century.
The study calls for immediate actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the
impacts of climate change. Through global cooperation and strong commitments from
governments and companies, the worst climate consequences can be avoided, and lives can be
protected in the future.
Source: Daily Mail
