Global research shows which countries will be most affected by heat waves in the coming years

A new study has highlighted the regions around the world that are most vulnerable and unprepared for the devastating effects of scorching temperatures.

Life-threatening heatwaves are likely to wreak havoc around the world this century amid fears of worsening climate change.

The new study, led by researchers from the University of Bristol and published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that unprecedented extreme temperatures, combined with social and economic vulnerability, are making some more vulnerable. regions, such as Afghanistan and Central America.

Countries that have not yet experienced the most severe heatwaves are often particularly vulnerable, as adaptation measures are often implemented only after the event.

The high probability of record temperatures, a growing population and limited health care and energy supplies add to the risks.

Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea and Central America topped the list of the most affected countries.

The study says these dire findings come after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, where the health system is on the verge of collapse, according to the World Health Organization.

The study also showed that limited health care and climate change preparedness play a major role in vulnerabilities in Papua New Guinea and Central America, such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.

“Preparation saves lives. We’ve seen some of the most unexpected heat waves around the world that are sparking heat.” We have shown that such record-breaking events can happen anywhere. Governments around the world need to be prepared.”

The experts found that “irrational cases of radicalization” occurred in 31% of the regions analyzed between 1959 and 2021.

There is no clear pattern for this temperature anomaly, raising concerns that radicalization “can happen anytime, anywhere”.

Experts point out that countries that have been lucky enough to avoid the worst extremism are at greater risk in the future because of a lack of protection in the past.

China’s Beijing, Hebei and Tianjin provinces, as well as the Khabarovsk region in eastern Russia, have also been identified as areas of concern.

However, the analysis of African countries, North Korea and some other countries was limited by the lack of available and usable data.

Experts also acknowledge that climate patterns may vary based on local extremes and weather patterns in the listed countries at risk.

The study’s lead author, climate scientist Dr. , the population of some of these regions is growing rapidly, some of them are “Developing countries, some of them are already very hot. We have to ask if the heat action plans for these regions are adequate.”

Source: Daily Mail