Drought rise detailed
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New stats show almost half the world experienced extreme drought in 2023.
In 2023, climate change intensified health risks globally, as nearly half the planet grappled with extreme drought and rising heat, according to The Lancet’s latest annual report on climate impacts.
Findings indicate that 48 per cent of land worldwide experienced extreme drought conditions, with people exposed to an average of 50 additional days of health-threatening temperatures.
Experts have labelled these statistics as “the worst yet” in the eight years of these assessments.
The Lancet’s report, developed by over 120 researchers from 57 global institutions and UN agencies, tracked 15 indicators of health threats, with 10 reaching new alarming records. According to the report, extreme droughts and rising temperatures contributed to a dramatic increase in moderate to severe food insecurity, impacting 151 million more people compared to annual averages between 1981 and 2010.
“Once again, last year broke climate change records—with extreme heat waves, deadly weather events, and devastating wildfires affecting people around the world,” said Dr Marina Romanello, Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown at University College London.
“No individual or economy on the planet is immune from the health threats of climate change,” she added.
Additionally, the report highlights that global heat-related deaths in those over age 65 rose by 167 per cent above 1990s levels, far exceeding the demographic-adjusted 65% increase expected if climate conditions had remained stable.
In 2023, people worldwide faced 1,512 hours of temperatures linked to moderate heat stress, a nearly 28 per cent increase from the 1990s.
This, combined with extreme precipitation events across 61 per cent of global land areas over the past decade, drove increased rates of infectious diseases and heightened flooding risks.
Despite these warnings, fossil fuel subsidies and investments remain high.
The Lancet report calls for a “health-centred transformation of financial systems”, urging a redirection of trillions in fossil fuel subsidies toward clean energy, which could lead to immediate health and economic benefits.
A shift towards renewable energy could mitigate health impacts while reducing global reliance on fossil fuels, which still make up 80.3 per cent of the energy system.
Energy-related carbon emissions reached a new peak in 2023, 1.1 per cent above 2022 levels.
“Record-high emissions are posing record-breaking threats to our health. We must cure the sickness of climate inaction...to create a fairer, safer, and healthier future for all,” says UN Secretary-General António Guterres.