The World Economic Forum revealed on Tuesday that climate change presents a significant risk of causing several million deaths, along with severe illnesses and substantial healthcare costs in the coming decades. The Davos report highlighted flooding as the most considerable risk among six key consequences of climate change, including floods, droughts, heatwaves, tropical storms, forest fires, and rising sea levels.
Based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s medium scenario for a temperature rise by 2100, the report anticipates an increase in the average temperature of 2.7 degrees Celsius. According to the study, climate change could lead to up to 14.5 million deaths worldwide by 2050, with additional healthcare costs totaling $1.1 trillion.
The report estimates that flooding alone could cause 8.5 million deaths by 2050, not only directly but also indirectly through crop damage, increased infectious diseases, and higher humidity. The Asia-Pacific region, with its densely populated coastal areas, is expected to bear the brunt of this impact.
Droughts are predicted to result in the second-highest mortality rate, causing around 3.2 million deaths by 2050, primarily due to the long-term effects of declining water quality and less fertile soils on child mortality.
Heatwaves are anticipated to cost approximately 1.6 million lives by 2050, particularly among older individuals, leading to an increase in illnesses and cases of occupational disability. The report emphasizes that regions in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia would be particularly affected by the health consequences of climate change.
The findings of the report are scheduled to be discussed at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.