SRINAGAR: World Economic Forum analysis warns that climate-intensified natural disasters may lead 14.5 million deaths and 12.5 trillion in economic losses worldwide by 2050.
The Forum report, published on January 16, stated that the looming climate crisis will exacerbate global health inequities, leaving the most vulnerable most at risk. “Urgent global action must be taken to reduce emissions and safeguard human health from the multi-pronged negative impacts of climate change globally,” it said.
Despite these dire predictions, the report suggests that there is still an opportunity for global stakeholders to take decisive action and implement strategies to counter these forecasts and mitigate the health impacts of climate change.
The analysis, developed with Oliver Wyman, provides a detailed picture of the indirect impact of climate change on human health, the global economy, and healthcare systems, offering actionable strategies for preparation.
Shyam Bishen, Head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare at the World Economic Forum, stressed, “Critical emission reduction and mitigation measures are essential to avoid losing recent progress and build climate-resilient health systems.”
Bishen further said that the report quantifies health consequences, estimating an additional 1.1 Trillion in healthcare system costs by 2025.
The analysis is based on scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), projecting a likely trajectory of the planet’s rising average temperature to 2.5 degrees to 2.9 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels.
