More than 80% of heat-related deaths predicted in the Middle East and North Africa by the end of this century could be prevented if global warming is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, according to a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health.
Already grappling with an acute lack of water and temperatures that regularly reach 45 C in the summer months, the Middle East and North Africa is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. It’s warming about twice as fast as the global average, which means maximum temperatures are currently predicted to rise to almost 50 C by the century’s end, potentially rendering some areas unlivable.
About 123 people per 100,000 are expected to die of heat-related causes annually by 2100 under high-emissions scenarios that would see temperatures rise significantly, the researchers found. That’s about 60 times greater than today’s heat-related deaths and much higher than the most dire predictions for the rest of the planet.