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2h ago

Tropical Deforestation Linked to 28,000 Heat Deaths a Year, Study Finds

Peer-reviewed analysis links satellite-mapped forest loss to local warming that raises heat exposure, elevating mortality.

Workers sitting in a deforested and burned area of the Brazilian Amazon. Credit: FRANCESCO GARLASCHELLI / Alamy Stock Photo
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Overview

  • The Nature Climate Change study estimates about 28,330 heat-related deaths each year associated with warming from tropical forest loss.
  • Roughly 345 million people across the tropics faced additional heat between 2001 and 2020 due to nearby deforestation, with the largest share in Southeast Asia.
  • In areas where forests were cleared, more than one-third of heat deaths were tied to the local temperature increase from tree loss.
  • Exposure was widespread in Indonesia (over 48 million people), the Democratic Republic of Congo (about 42 million) and Brazil (around 21 million).
  • Researchers attributed the impacts by pairing satellite records of tree-cover loss and land-temperature change with population distribution and non-accidental mortality data.