As large swaths of the United States and Europe face a series of deadly heat waves, a report from the Climate Impact Lab shows such premature deaths are set to rise through 2050. Regions in the southwestern and central United States and southern tier of Western Europe are some of the areas where death rates are expected to increase. In Spain, for example, the number of additional heat deaths will be on par with those from diabetes. Cities like Phoenix and Madrid are projected to lose an additional 600 and 525 lives each year, respectively, due to a warming climate. At the same time, the study warns that net projections can mask large seasonal changes. Despite a decrease in cold-related deaths in places like Chicago and Paris, devastating heat waves like those experienced recently will continue to lead to an increase in summer deaths.
These are the heat waves that make the headlines. Yet, ten times more people are projected to die each year in lower-income countries than in higher-income countries. For example, Faisalabad, Pakistan, is projected to lose an additional 9,400 lives each year. In fact, Pakistani cities will be the hardest hit as they see changes in heat deaths exceeding that of today’s rates associated with tuberculosis, COPD and stroke. The rich-poor divide underscores that in a warming world having the resources to adapt will be a matter of life or death. The report identifies where additional resources and policies can most effectively save lives.
