Research
El Niño’s global death toll hides a troubling imbalance
Earth.com · By Andrei Ionescu ·
The Brief
- Very strong El Niño years are associated with an estimated 107,000 additional heat-related deaths annually compared with neutral conditions.
- In the same comparison, very strong El Niño years are associated with an estimated 113,000 fewer cold-related deaths annually.
- Globally, the heat and cold figures nearly cancel out, but the source argues this should not be reassuring.
Why it matters
Net global mortality figures can hide large shifts in which causes of death rise or fall, which matters for health planning and heat protection. The source notes that the people dying from heat are not evenly spread across the population.
Who’s affected
- climate and public health researchers
- public health and heat-protection planners
- #el nino
- #heat deaths
- #cold deaths
- #climate health
- #mortality
Very strong El Niño years are associated with an estimated 107,000 additional heat-related deaths and 113,000 fewer cold-related deaths annually, compared with neutral conditions. Globally, those numbers nearly cancel out, but they shouldn’t reassure anyone. The people dying from…