Barcelona, August 13, 2024, The Europe Today: A new report by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health has revealed that more than 47,000 people across Europe died due to extreme heat in 2023, the hottest year on record. The alarming figure was derived from comprehensive modeling and underscores the increasing threat posed by climate change.
The study found that southern Europe bore the brunt of the heat-related mortality, with Greece experiencing the highest rate of heat-related deaths, estimated at 393 per million inhabitants. Bulgaria followed with 229 deaths per million, Italy with 209, and Spain with 175. In contrast, Germany recorded a significantly lower rate of 76 deaths per million inhabitants.
The report highlighted that women and older individuals were particularly vulnerable to the extreme temperatures, with a disproportionately higher number of women succumbing to heat compared to men in most of the countries analyzed. As climate change continues to escalate, the risks associated with extreme heat are expected to increase.
Despite these grim statistics, the report also emphasized the life-saving impact of heat adaptations. Measures such as healthcare improvements, early warning systems, enhanced communication, and progress in occupational health were credited with reducing the heat mortality rate. According to the study, without these adaptations, the number of deaths would have been 80% higher.
“Our results show how there have been societal adaptation processes to high temperatures during the present century, which have dramatically reduced the heat-related vulnerability and mortality burden of recent summers, especially among the elderly,” said Elisa Gallo, the study’s lead author.
The study also noted that the temperature associated with the lowest mortality risk has risen over the years, from 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) between 2000 and 2004 to 17.7 degrees Celsius (63.86 degrees Fahrenheit) between 2015 and 2019. This shift suggests that societies have become less vulnerable to heat, likely due to socio-economic progress, behavioral changes, and public health initiatives such as the heat prevention plans implemented after the devastating summer of 2003.
As Europe faces increasing heatwaves and the ongoing challenges of climate change, the findings underscore the importance of continued adaptation and mitigation efforts to protect vulnerable populations and reduce heat-related mortality in the future.
