Study finds ASEAN at highest risk as deforestation linked to 28,000 heat-related deaths globally
Deforestation linked to 28,000 global heat deaths yearly, with ASEAN most at risk, highlighting urgent need for sustainable forest management.
A recent study published in Nature Climate Change journal reveals that tropical deforestation between 2001 and 2020 has contributed to as many as 28,000 heat-related deaths per year worldwide. Southeast Asia, or ASEAN, emerged as the most severely affected region, recording the highest mortality rates linked to heat associated with forest loss among all tropical areas.
Impact of deforestation
Tropical deforestation not only harms the environment but also poses a serious threat to human health. The study found that global deaths related to heat in tropical regions reach approximately 28,000 annually, based on two decades of observational data.
Between 2001 and 2020, deforestation exposed roughly 345 million people across tropical regions to higher local temperatures. On average, daytime surface temperatures in deforested areas rose by 0.27°C. The effects were particularly pronounced in Southeast Asia, a key ASEAN region, where heat-related mortality reached 8-11 deaths per 100,000 people living in deforested areas.
Mortality rates
Mortality rates in the region are significantly higher than in tropical Africa and the Americas. Countries most affected include Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Deforestation on the Southeast Asian mainland, such as in Cambodia and Vietnam, also showed marked temperature increases. The study indicates that between 2001 and 2020, approximately 122 million people in Southeast Asia were affected by temperature rises caused by deforestation, representing 74% of the population living in forest-loss areas in the region.
Researchers explain that the main cause is the loss of a process called “evapotranspirational cooling,” whereby plants release water vapour into the atmosphere to reduce temperatures. When forests are cleared, this cooling effect disappears, causing local temperatures to rise rapidly and intensely. Heat-related deaths linked to deforestation in the region account for 1.6% of all non-accidental deaths in affected areas, underlining the vital role of forests in maintaining suitable temperatures.
Economic consequences
The study also warns of long-term economic impacts, particularly in low-income tropical countries with limited adaptive capacity, including many ASEAN nations. Reduced work capacity due to heat stress could significantly exacerbate poverty levels.
Sustainable forest management is therefore crucial to mitigate adverse health impacts and enhance the resilience of local communities in the face of rapidly changing climate conditions.
