A new study has revealed that air pollution caused by wildfires is responsible for more than 1.5 million deaths annually worldwide, with most fatalities occurring in developing countries.
Published in The Lancet on November 28, the study warns that the death toll is expected to rise as climate change drives more frequent and severe fires. Researchers reviewed data on “landscape fires,” which include natural forest fires and human-initiated agricultural burns.
Between 2000 and 2019, wildfire-related air pollution caused approximately 450,000 deaths annually from heart disease and 220,000 deaths from respiratory illnesses due to smoke and fine particulate matter. The study estimated a total of 1.53 million annual deaths globally, with over 90% occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 40% of these fatalities.
Countries most affected by wildfire air pollution include China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Indonesia, and Nigeria. In India, intentional agricultural burns in the north have been linked to toxic smoke engulfing Delhi in recent months.
The study’s authors called for urgent action to address the health toll of wildfire air pollution, highlighting the disparities between rich and poor nations, emphasizing the “climate injustice” of those least responsible for climate change suffering its worst consequences.
Preventive measures like relocating from affected areas, using air purifiers, and wearing masks are often unavailable in poorer countries, the researchers noted, urging greater financial and technological support for the most impacted nations.
The findings come shortly after UN climate negotiations, where developing nations criticized funding increases as insufficient, and as Ecuador declared a national emergency due to wildfires that destroyed over 10,000 hectares in the country’s south.
It should be pointed out that this year, marked by extreme weather events like hurricanes, droughts, and floods, is on track to be the hottest year in recorded history.
