A new study by Amit Roy of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and the New School for Social Research in the US, published in the open access journal PLOS Climate, shows that the cost of climate change can be as large as an average of six months. . human life.
Analyzing data from 191 countries between 1940 and 2020, Roy estimates the relationship between temperature, precipitation and life expectancy, controlling for economic inequality, using GDP per capita.
The study found that every 1°C increase in global temperature is associated with an average reduction of 0.44 years in life expectancy, translating into a loss of approximately 5 months and 1 week.
Additionally, a 10-point increase in the Climate Change Index, which accounts for changes in climate and rainfall, could result in a six-month reduction in average life expectancy. Women and those in developing countries are expected to be equally affected.
Dr. Roy hopes that the introduction of this climate change index will standardize the global discussion on the problem, provide publicly accessible metrics, and promote cooperation among countries to deal with the impact of climate change.
This study shows the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to a changing environment.
This highlights the need for local studies focusing on special severe weather events such as fires, tsunamis and floods that cannot be fully captured by analyzing temperature and rainfall alone.
