A study published in Nature Climate Change used satellite data on tree cover loss together with temperature and mortality models. The research focused on the years 2001 to 2020.
Researchers found that 345 million people were exposed to local warming linked to deforestation during that period. The study estimates about 28,000 heat-related deaths each year because of this warming. Most of the exposure was in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Deforested area was around 760,000 km2 in Latin America, 490,000 km2 in Southeast Asia and 340,000 km2 in Africa. Local temperature rises were 0.53°C in Latin America, 0.37°C in Southeast Asia and 0.39°C in Africa.
Difficult words
- deforestation — Cutting down many trees in an area.
- environment — The natural world around us.
- health — The state of being free from illness.
- risk — The possibility of harm or danger.
- temperatures — The degree of heat in the air.
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why is stopping deforestation important?
- How does heat affect public health?
- What can communities do to prevent deforestation?
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