Deforestation has indirectly resulted in the deaths of more than half a million people in tropical regions over the past two decades, a new study recently published in the journal Nature Climate Change has found.
What’s happening?
The clearing of land in the Amazon, Congo, and Southeast Asia is raising temperatures in these areas, where it reduces shade, diminishes rainfall, and increases fire risks, according to The Guardian’s summary of the paper.
Between 2001 and 2020, approximately 345 million people across the tropics were exposed to warming caused by deforestation, according to researchers from the University of Leeds, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and Fiocruz. The researchers found that this warming could be linked to an estimated 28,330 deaths annually during that period, resulting in a total of more than 500,000 deaths over 20 years.
Estimated heat-related mortality rates appeared greatest in Southeast Asia. The co-authors also underscored disproportionate impacts on outdoor workers, such as agricultural producers, and low-income communities in these regions.
Why is this study significant?
This isn’t the first study to highlight the importance of trees and other greenery to global health and safety. A previous study found that doubling tree cover in European cities could result in a 40 percent reduction in premature heat-related deaths. Another team of scientists has even developed a tool that could help city planners plant trees more efficiently to maximize cooling benefits.
Trees have other benefits as well. For one, they can filter the air to make it more breathable — one study from Georgia State University found that planting trees and other vegetation near city highways can dramatically reduce traffic-related air pollution. Their ability to capture and hold onto carbon is also a valuable tool in the fight against rising global temperatures.
What can be done about deforestation?
Dominick Spracklen, a professor at the University of Leeds and a co-author of the new study, called attention to the significance of keeping forest canopies intact to help mitigate heat-related health impacts.
“The forests directly benefit local communities,” he told The Guardian. “They regulate temperature, bring rainfall, and support the agriculture people depend on.”
Spracklen, who says that “deforestation kills,” pointed to the significance of the soy moratorium that the farming lobby has been trying to end in the Amazon in order to expand agricultural operations. He says that preserving the moratorium to continue reducing deforestation can actually help safeguard the future of farming as well as save lives.
The co-authors called for policies that advance the conservation of tropical forests, which can not only help to mitigate warming but also “strengthen the adaptive capacity of vulnerable populations.” They also called for future research to “explore how protected areas function as buffers against temperature extremes, particularly for surrounding populations.”
In addition to supporting policies and policymakers committed to protecting forests and overall well-being in tropical regions, one easy way you can help from anywhere in the world is by using Ecosia, a search engine that plants trees powered by user queries.
|
Do you worry about the quality of the air inside your home? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo News – Latest News & Headlines
Read the full article .
