Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Life
  • Health
  • Environment
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Fashion
  • Science
  • Religion
  • History
  • Feature
  • Expat Corner

COVID recovery poses long-lasting effects on climate, health: Lancet

by French Press Agency - AFP

Paris Oct 21, 2021 - 9:41 am GMT+3
A woman holds a dog in her arms as forest fires approach the village of Pefki on Evia (Euboea) island in Greece, Aug. 8, 2021. (AFP Photo)
A woman holds a dog in her arms as forest fires approach the village of Pefki on Evia (Euboea) island in Greece, Aug. 8, 2021. (AFP Photo)
by French Press Agency - AFP Oct 21, 2021 9:41 am

Countries' fossil-fuel-powered COVID-19 recoveries will have long-lasting consequences on human health and risk worsening food and water insecurity, heat waves and infectious diseases already threatening billions globally, a major assessment warned Thursday.

The Lancet Countdown is the largest annual study of the impacts of climate change on human health.

It found that up to 19% of Earth's land mass was affected by extreme drought in 2020 and warned that climate change posed a major threat to food security, which already affects more than 2 billion people.

Compared with the historic average, the global population of over-65s lived through 3.1 billion additional extreme heat days last year, it found.

Populations of 134 countries are now at greater threat from wildfires than at any time previously, and millions of farmers and construction workers are losing income because of the rising number of extremely hot days.

And climate change is creating ideal conditions for infectious diseases such as dengue fever, Zika virus, cholera and malaria across a far larger span of the globe than just a few decades ago and include Europe, it said.

"Climate change is here and we're already seeing it damaging human health across the world," said Anthony Costello, executive director of the Lancet Countdown.

"As the COVID-19 crisis continues, every country is facing some aspect of the climate crisis too," he added.

'Bleak outlook'

The assessment found that the five years with the most areas affected by extreme drought have all occurred since 2015.

Disruption to the water cycle due to global heating shortens the time in which plants reach maturity, resulting in small yields putting ever-greater stress on food production.

The Lancet said that yield potential for maize – a global staple – had already declined 6% compared with 1981-2010 levels.

Wheat has seen a 3% yield potential fall, and rice a 1.8% fall, it found.

And the marine food upon which 3.3. billion people depend on for either sustenance or income is under "increasing threat," with average sea temperature rising in nearly 70% of territorial waters compared with just 15 years ago.

The report also warned that nearly three-quarters of countries surveyed said they believed they could not afford an integrated national health and climate strategy.

"This year we saw people suffering intense heat waves, deadly floods and wildfires," said lead author Maria Romanello.

"These are grim warnings that, for every day that we delay our response to climate change, the situation gets more critical.

"It's time to realize that no one is safe from the effects of climate change," she warned.

In an editorial, the Lancet called on world leaders at the forthcoming COP26 summit to divert some of the trillions they are spending on COVID-19 recovery to reduce inequality and safeguard health.

"This year's indicators give a bleak outlook: global inequities are increasing, and the direction of travel is worsening in all health outcomes," it said.

In June, Agence France-Presse (AFP) obtained a draft of an assessment on the impacts of climate change from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

It warned that rising temperatures would expose tens of millions more to disease and drought as soon as 2050.

  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Oct 21, 2021 11:01 am
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    covid-19 outbreak coronavirus pandemic climate crisis climate change
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    An amateur photographer Vincent Cornelissen captures a bean goose flying upside down. (Photo from Instagram @b0unce1971)

    It is showing off: Photographer captures goose flying upside down

    ANIMALS-ARCHIVES
    Parts of the newly completed last section of the Northern Marmara Motorway, Istanbul, Turkey, May 19, 2021. (DHA Photo)

    Turkey raises speed limits on highways starting from July

    SPEED-LIMIT

    Türkiye's 1st domestic heavy-class attack helicopter starts engine

    heavy-class-attack-helicopter

    Istanbul's consulate chronicles: Sudhi Choudhary, Consul General of India

    SUDHI-CHOUDHARY
    No Image
    Lit winter wonderlands around the globe
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021