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One and a half million deaths per year are linked to pollution from wildfires

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Most of them occur in low- or middle-income countries.

Diseases causing the death of 1.5 million people worldwide are associated with pollution from landscape fires (forests, agricultural lands, peri-urban areas, among others), according to data from 2000 to 2019.

A study published by The Lancet, led by Monash University (Australia), also highlights significant geographic and socioeconomic disparities in the impact of these disasters, as over 90% of deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

Landscape fires refer to those occurring in natural and cultural landscapes, such as natural and planted forests, shrublands, grasslands, pastures, agricultural lands, and peri-urban areas.

CAUSE OF DEATH

While they can cause direct fatalities, most deaths linked to them are due to the air pollution they generate, which contributes to long-term health issues like cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

Data shows that of the 1.53 million annual deaths directly attributable to pollution from these fires, 450,000 were due to cardiovascular causes and 220,000 to respiratory conditions.

MOST AFFECTED AREAS

Over 90% of deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, led by China, India, Congo, Indonesia, and Nigeria; additionally, sub-Saharan Africa bore the highest burden, accounting for nearly 40% of the total.

The research, according to its authors, emphasizes the real health risks of wildfires, particularly fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less (PM2.5) and ozone.

"They often travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away and affect much larger populations than the flames and heat," explained Yuming Guo from Monash University, one of the study's authors.

"At least 90% of global PM2.5 emissions from landscape fires likely come from wildfires, and this proportion may increase with climate change."

The authors stress the need for further research to fully understand the broader implications of these health risks on overall well-being.

They also call for urgent measures to mitigate the significant health impacts of air pollution caused by landscape fires.

The global health burden from fire-related pollution "will increase due to the rising frequency and severity of fires in an increasingly warmer climate," highlights Guo, who argues that "urgent measures are needed to address these major health impacts and the associated environmental injustice."

The study also advocates addressing socioeconomic disparities in mortality rates by providing financial and technological support from high-income countries to help more vulnerable developing nations.

Source: subscription edition ofAustral Journalof Los Ríos