A new global study shows that climate change is not affecting everyone equally and extreme weather events impact people differently based on their age and location.
The study, highlighted by IIT Kharagpur and supported by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), found that compound climate extremes, such as heatwaves, floods, and droughts, are increasing rapidly and how dangerous weather events overlap.
For example, a heatwave may occur at the same time as a flood or a long drought.
These are called “compound climate extremes,” and the risks from them are rising quickly.
By using climate data along with demographic data, the researchers compared the past 30 years (1991 –2020) with what the world may face in the near future (2021 – 2050), an IIT Kharagpur spokesperson said.
The results show clear inequalities.
According to the study, children and working-age adults in Asia and Africa will face the highest risks, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where populations are growing rapidly.
In contrast, the elderly in Europe, North America, and Australia will suffer the most, especially from heat waves combined with heavy rainfall.
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The study further states Europe is expected to have the highest exposure levels for seniors globally, raising concerns about healthcare and social systems.
The study also shows that while cold extremes may reduce in tropical regions, they will increase in parts of the Americas, northern Europe, and east Asia.
This means people in these areas may have to deal with both more heatwaves and more cold spells, making life harder and more dangerous.
The study also found that climate change is the primary driver of rising risks, with population growth exacerbating the situation in developing regions.
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In regions with stable or shrinking populations, such as Europe, climate change alone is responsible for most of the increase in exposure.
The findings highlight the need for targeted measures to address the unequal impact of climate change.
(Anisha Ghosh is an intern with the Kolkata office of The Indian Express)
