Heatwaves could kill 90,000 Europeans per year by 2100: EEA

If nothing is done, heatwaves could lead to the deaths of 90,000 Europeans each year by the end of the century, the European Environment Agency said.

"Without adaptation measures, and under a scenario of 3 degrees Celsius global warming by 2100, 90,000 Europeans could die from extreme heat annually," it said.

"With 1.5 degrees C global warming, this is reduced to 30,000 deaths annually."

Countries have pledged to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels -- a goal the world is set to miss on current emission trends.

Some 129,000 Europeans died from excessive heat in the period between 1980 and 2020, the agency said, citing insurance data.

But more frequent heatwaves linked to climate change, an ageing population and increased urbanisation have made this figure likely to increase in coming years, especially in the south of the continent, it said.

The World Health Organization on Monday said at least 15,000 people had died so far this year in Europe because of hot weather.

The three months from June-August were the hottest in Europe since records began, and the exceptionally high temperatures led to the worst drought the continent has witnessed since the Middle Ages.

Beyond the danger of heat itself, the EEA said, climate change could also make Europe more prone to infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever spread by mosquito bites.

And the warming sea waters are becoming increasingly suitable for the bacteria that causes cholera, in particular along the coastlines of the Baltic Sea.

The EEA called for action.

"Nearly all deaths associated with high temperatures are preventable in the European context," it said.

"Reducing the health impacts of heat requires implementing a wide range of solutions, including effective heat health action plans, urban greening, appropriate building design and construction, and adjusting working times and conditions," it said.

World 'burning up faster' than it can recover: Pakistan PM
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (AFP) Nov 8, 2022 - Climate change is outpacing the capacity of developing nations to cope with its devastating impacts, the Pakistani premier told COP27 on Tuesday, as his country reels from historic floods.

Talks at the UN climate conference in Egypt have been dominated by calls for wealthier nations to fulfil pledges to financially help poorer nations green their economies and build resilience.

"The world is burning up faster than our capacity for recovery," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned in his speech before the summit in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

"The current financing gap is too high to sustain any real recovery needs of those on the frontlines of climate catastrophe."

Sharif argued Pakistan exemplifies the extreme vulnerability of nations in the developing world struggling to grow their economies while confronting a perfect storm of inflation, soaring debt and energy shortages -- all compounded by global warming.

Catastrophic floods in Pakistan in August coming on the heels of a crippling two-month heat wave earlier in the year upended the lives of 33 million people and inundated a third of the country, he said.

"Raging torrents" from melting glaciers in northern Pakistan ripped up thousands of kilometres (miles) of roads and railway tracks, Sharif added.

The floods, which also swamped vast areas of key farmland, incurred damages exceeding $30 billion, according to the World Bank.

- 'Gigantic task' -

Pakistan, already facing a cost-of-living crisis, a nose-diving rupee and dwindling foreign exchange reserves, saw inflation surge after the floods.

"We have redirected our meagre resources to meet basic needs of millions of households affected by these devastating floods," Sharif said. "And this all happened despite our very low carbon footprint."

Rich nations historically responsible for rising temperatures have fallen short on delivering climate finance on several fronts, the prime minister said.

A 12-year old pledge made at COP15 to provide $100 billion a year to poorer countries by 2020 has still not been met and is $17 billion short.

A lightening-rod issue at COP27 is whether or not wealthy nations should commit to a separate financial facility for unavoidable impacts -- from storms, heat waves and sea level rise, for example -- known as "loss and damage".

"How on earth can one expect from us that we will undertake this gigantic task on our own?" Sharif said.

At a Monday meeting with Sharif, UN chief Antonio Guterres said the world needs to rethink the international financial system to provide debt relief to countries battered by climate impacts.

"Pakistan deserves massive support directly from the international community," Guterres said.

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At least 15,000 killed by hot weather in Europe in 2022: WHO
Copenhagen (AFP) Nov 7, 2022
At least 15,000 people have died in Europe because of hot weather in 2022 so far, the World Health Organization said Monday, with Spain and Germany among the worst-affected countries. The three months from June-August were the hottest in Europe since records began, and the exceptionally high temperatures led to the worst drought the continent has witnessed since the Middle Ages. "Based on country data submitted so far, it is estimated that at least 15,000 people died specifically due to the hea ... read more