Climate change has significantly intensified the health and economic impact of wildfire smoke in the United States, a new study by researchers at the Harvard Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment has found.
According to the study, Anthropogenic climate change contributes to wildfire particulate matter and related mortality in the United States, which was published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, exposure to harmful fine particulate matter (PM2.5) produced during wildfires has led to a dramatic impact on public health.
The study used a novel attribution framework to compare wildfire smoke levels in affected areas of the US between 2006 and 2020, with what they might have been if climate change hadn’t taken place.
The researchers suggest that climate change was responsible for up to 60% of wildfire PM2.5 exposure in parts of the western US, particularly affecting states like Oregon, Montana, and California.
Mortality rates
The top 10 states with the highest annual mortality rates from climate change-related wildfire-PM2.5 were Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Washington, California, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, Louisiana, and Arkansas.
Over the 15-year period studied (2006-2020), climate change contributed to around 15,000 deaths due to wildfire-PM2.5 exposure, while the cumulative economic burden from these deaths stood at $160 billion, according to the study.
‘Urgent need’
‘The findings emphasise the urgent need for integrated climate and health policies that address the increasing risks associated with climate-induced wildfires,’ the researchers noted.
‘As the climate continues to warm, the frequency and intensity of wildfires are projected to increase, worsening air quality and exposing more people to harmful wildfire smoke. This study underscores the importance of both mitigating climate change and developing adaptive strategies for public health and land management to reduce the impacts of wildfire smoke.’ Read more here and here.
