Study explains why younger people are at higher risk of extreme heat

Climate change impacts different age groups in different ways. While discussions often focus on saving the planet for future generations, what if the next generation is already suffering before they even get a chance at their future? The global heat has substantially risen above the normal levels. A study published in Science Advances revealed that younger people particularly those under 35, would experience heat-related deaths as temperatures continue to rise.

Higher younger deaths due to increasing heat

The greenhouse gas emissions are responsible for the increasing global temperature. The researchers predicted a 32% increase in deaths of people under 35 years old in this century from heat if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t reduced. The younger generation is even more vulnerable to this extreme heat than older generations.

Andrew Wilson, lead study author said, “Most discussion of vulnerability to heat focuses on the elderly, but we found a surprising source of inequality in that most heat mortality is in younger people.” It indicates the surprising, underlying vulnerability of younger generations to global heat.

More about the research
The study examined the data from Mexico, a country with detailed records of deaths and high ‘wet bulb’ temperatures, which measure heat stress by considering humidity. The researchers found that between 1999 and 2019, 75% of heat-related deaths were among people under 35, while nearly all cold-related deaths were in people over 50.

Andrew Wilson further added, “Climate change is here and how we adapt to it will be a very important determinant of human health in the future. We shouldn’t move resources away from older people but we certainly need to think more about the risk faced by younger people.”

Older people are often seen as the most vulnerable to climate change health risks, sometimes overlooking the dangers younger people face.