PARIS: Air pollution caused by fires is linked to more than 1.5 million deaths worldwide annually, the majority in developing countries, a major new study said on Thursday.
According to the study, the death toll is expected to increase in the coming years as climate change makes wildfires more frequent and intense. The Lancet Journal
The international team of researchers looked at existing data on “landscape fires,” which include both wildfires that are ignited by nature and controlled burns on farmland such as planned fires.
Between 2000 and 2019, 450,000 annual deaths from heart disease were linked to fire-related air pollution, the researchers said.
Another 220,000 deaths from respiratory disease were attributed to airborne smoke and particulates from the fires.
According to the study, a total of 1.53 million annual deaths from all causes worldwide were associated with air pollution from landscape fires.
It added that more than 90 percent of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, with nearly 40 percent in sub-Saharan Africa alone.
Countries with the highest death toll include China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia and Nigeria.
A record amount of illegal burning of farmland in northern India has been partly blamed for the toxic smog that has recently suffocated the capital, New Delhi.
The authors of The Lancet The study called for “urgent action” to address the high number of deaths caused by landscape fires.
He added that the disparity between rich and poor nations further highlights “climate injustice”, with those who contribute the least to global warming suffering the most.
The researchers pointed out that some ways people can avoid smoke from fires – such as moving away from the area, using air purifiers and masks, or staying indoors – are not available to people in poor countries.
He therefore called for more financial and technical support for people in the most affected countries.
The study was released a week after UN climate talks where delegates agreed to increase climate funding that developing countries said was insufficient.
It also came after Ecuador declared a national state of emergency over wildfires that have destroyed more than 10,000 hectares in the south of the country.
The world has also been hit by hurricanes, droughts, floods and other extreme weather events during what is expected to be the hottest year on record.