Study finds rising dual exposure to heat waves and wildfire smoke

· Climate

New research published in Science Advances on Wednesday finds that more than 1 billion people per year were exposed simultaneously to heat waves and wildfire smoke pollution during 2010-2019, a sharp increase over the previous decade. The study is described as the first to quantify the combined public health burden of these two climate-driven hazards, which compound each other's effects on the human body. The findings highlight a growing health crisis driven by global warming, as hotter, drier conditions make both extreme heat and large fires more frequent and more overlapping in time and place.

Why it matters：As heat and fire seasons increasingly overlap, health systems, insurers and emergency planners face compounding risks that are not captured by looking at either hazard alone.

Key points

  • More than 1 billion people per year were exposed to both hazards in 2010-2019.
  • The study appears in the journal Science Advances.
  • Exposure rose sharply compared with the previous decade.

Sources (original reporting)

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