LONDON — A new study has revealed that deforestation has caused the deaths of more than half a million people in tropical regions over the past two decades. Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the research found that localized temperature increases caused by land clearance are responsible for an estimated 28,330 heat-related deaths annually.
The study’s authors, from Brazil, Ghana, and the UK, found that deforestation in the rainforests of the Amazon, Congo, and Southeast Asia leads to localized warming by reducing shade, decreasing rainfall, and increasing the risk of wildfires. This effect, which is distinct from global climate change, accounts for over a third of the warming experienced by people in these regions.
The report estimates that between 2001 and 2020, over 345 million people in the tropics suffered from this deforestation-induced warming. More than half of the heat-related deaths occurred in Southeast Asia, a third were in tropical Africa, and the rest were in Central and South America.
Professor Dominick Spracklen of the University of Leeds, one of the study’s authors, emphasized that the findings show “deforestation kills.” He noted that the local dangers of deforestation are often lost in the broader global climate debate. Spracklen added that leaving forests intact directly benefits local communities by regulating temperature and supporting agriculture.
He pointed to regions like Mato Grosso in Brazil, where massive land clearance for soybean plantations has led to a significant increase in heat stress for local populations. The study concludes that protecting forests is not just a global climate imperative but a local health and safety issue.