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Children disproportionately face humid heat stress around the globe
Children face more humid heat stress than older adults around the globe, and that exposure will grow under future warming scenarios, according to new research by Rosa Pietroiusti and colleagues.
There are three times more children (ages 0 to 9) compared with older adults (ages 60 to 69) who are exposed to an additional 20 days of heat stress each year due to anthropogenic climate change, the researchers conclude in their new study. The total health impacts of this exposure may be underestimated, as children usually spend more time outdoors and heat stress can have lifelong effects on development.
The trend uncovered by Pietroiusti et al. is driven by larger younger populations in tropical regions – particularly in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and West Africa – that have experienced the largest increases in humid heat due to climate change.
Their analysis uses a modified wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) as its heat stress metric, counting heat stress days as those under which the maximum WBGT requires reduced activity or rest to prevent heat-related illness. Under a global average temperature increase of 1.5ºC, 4% of the 0-9 age group (51 million children) are projected to experience 150 or more heat stress days per year attributable to anthropogenic warming, up from 3% (40 million children) under today’s conditions.
In a 2ºC warmer world, the number would increase to 10% (115 million children), the researchers calculate.
Expert Reaction
These comments have been collated by the Science Media Centre to provide a variety of expert perspectives on this issue. Feel free to use these quotes in your stories. Views expressed are the personal opinions of the experts named. They do not represent the views of the SMC or any other organisation unless specifically stated.
Dr Luke Harrington, climate scientist, University of Waikato; and author of this research
"A lot of recent conversations around climate change in Aotearoa have been focused on adaptation. And while that’s understandable, these results are a stark reminder that our emissions don’t just contribute to impacts here at home but also globally. Alongside other countries with a history of high per-capita CO2 emissions, we should feel a responsibility to young children the world over: each additional tonne of CO2 we add to the atmosphere contributes to enduring harm for our youngest kids.
"While it’s an uncomfortable reality to confront, it’s equally important to also remember that each tonne of CO2 that we don’t add to the atmosphere will translate to impacts avoided. So, even as the evidence grows that we now live in a materially different climate primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels, the best time to start reducing emissions has not changed. The answer is today, and the second-best answer is tomorrow."
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