Melbourne, Oct 7 (NationPress) A staggering nearly 100,000 fatalities from the unprecedented heatwaves of 2023 have been linked to human-induced climate change, according to a groundbreaking global study led by Australian researchers.

The research, published on Tuesday, revealed that the extreme heatwaves of this year resulted in approximately 178,486 excess deaths worldwide, translating to about 23 deaths per million, with over half of these fatalities attributed to anthropogenic climate change.

An international team of scientists examined climate and mortality data from 2,013 locations across 67 countries, indicating that around 54 percent of heatwave-related deaths—close to 97,000 lives—were caused by human activities.

The study highlighted that the heatwaves of 2023 occurred in the hottest year recorded, with temperatures reaching 1.45 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

Southern Europe experienced the highest rate of heatwave-related deaths in 2023, at 120 deaths per million, followed by Eastern and Western Europe, as reported by researchers from Monash University in Australia and their global partners.

Deaths due to heatwaves were notably concentrated in subtropical and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, where prolonged extreme temperatures intensified existing cardiovascular, respiratory, and other chronic health issues.

The findings underscore the urgent necessity for adaptive public health measures and climate mitigation strategies to alleviate future mortality risks amidst escalating global warming.

A government report released on September 15 warned that millions of homes in Australia could be at risk from rising sea levels, with heat-related deaths more than doubling if global warming surpasses 3 degrees Celsius.

The inaugural National Climate Risk Assessment (NCRA) from the Australian Climate Service (ACS) predicted that 1.5 million coastal homes would be endangered by rising sea levels by 2050 if warming exceeds 3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

By 2090, projections indicate that over 3 million homes will be at risk from rising sea levels under similar warming scenarios.

Climate change describes the long-term alterations in temperature and weather patterns. While such changes can occur naturally, since the 1800s, human actions, primarily from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas, have predominantly driven climate change.

The combustion of fossil fuels results in greenhouse gas emissions that function like a thermal blanket around the Earth, trapping solar heat and elevating temperatures.

The primary greenhouse gases responsible for climate change include carbon dioxide and methane, which are emitted from activities such as driving cars or heating buildings with coal. Deforestation and land clearing also release significant amounts of carbon dioxide, while agriculture and oil and gas extraction are key sources of methane emissions. Major sectors contributing to greenhouse gases include energy, industry, transportation, buildings, agriculture, and land use.