According to research by experts from the American University of Boise, Idaho, by the end of the century, the poorest 25 percent of the planet’s population will be victims of these atmospheric phenomena at a rate equal to the rest of the population combined.
The analysis warned of growing inequality in relation to climate change adaptation, since, as revealed, people with worse cash incomes will experience, on average, 23 more days of heatwaves per year than those in the highest income bracket by 2100.
By comparison, he explained, the richest quartile will not see little change, because its ability to keep pace with global warming is generally greater in terms of access to technological means to mitigate its effects.
“We expected variance, but seeing a quarter of the world experience as much exposure as the other three quarters combined was surprising,” said Mojtaba Sadek, the study’s lead author.
The investigation took into account historical data on cash availability, and climatic records, among other aspects, to determine the level of exposure to heat waves experienced by individuals with different income levels around the world.
The researchers also combined these observations with climate models to predict the occurrence of this phenomenon in the next eight decades.
The findings add to a growing body of evidence revealing how the populations that bear the least responsibility for climate change are often the hardest hit by its effects.
“We need to raise awareness of thermal safety and risks, improve early warning systems and have access to these early warning systems,” Sadiq said of the results of the analysis.
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