The upcoming heatwaves could kill 90,000 people a year, the report warns

These are figures that, we hope, will contribute to the COP27 debate that opened in Egypt three days ago. This Wednesday, November 9th, AFP communicated the alarming data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). According to his latest report, “Without adaptation measures and in a 3 ° C global warming scenario by 2100, 90,000 Europeans could die from heat waves each year.”. A figure that could drop to 30,000 deaths if the rise in climate were contained to 1.5 ° C as required by the Paris Agreement.

Europe, a more vulnerable territory

There are several reasons for this catastrophic scenario. Population aging and concentration in cities make Europeans a very vulnerable population in the face of more frequent heat waves. The EEA also says that climate change would make the region more prone to the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases. The mosquitoes responsible for malaria or dengue fever would stay longer in the territory, which has become more hospitable, and the rise in temperatures would favor the proliferation of bacteria in the water.

In 2022, 15,000 people died from heatwaves

For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) has also published data that complement those of the EEA. On 7 November it announced that at least 15,000 deaths directly linked to heat waves had been recorded in Europe in 2022. To avoid these death waves, the EEE report presents recommendations. “There is a need to implement a wide range of solutions, including effective action plans for heating, greening cities, designing and building suitable buildings, and adapting working hours and conditions.” We hope this advice reaches the ears of our leaders gathered in Egypt.

Cover image: Unsplash / Markus Spiske