GENEVA, Nov 4 (Bernama-dpa) — Proven measures to combat climate change and adapt to its effects could prevent around 1.6 million deaths worldwide each year, according to estimates released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday, reported German Press Agency (dpa).
The UN agency said measures including heat warning systems, more climate-resilient water and sanitation infrastructure, cleaner household energy and higher taxes on fossil fuels could save lives while delivering substantial economic benefits.
“Taking action on climate change is now a matter of life and death,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. “We have the tools to save lives, cut emissions and strengthen economies.”
The estimates take into account not only the effects of greenhouse gas emissions but also related health risks, including air pollution and infectious diseases.
The WHO said eliminating fossil-fuel subsidies worldwide and appropriately taxing oil, gas and coal could generate US$5.4 trillion in government revenue annually.
Reduced consumption of carbon-intensive energy could deliver a further US$3 trillion in benefits through lower health and environmental costs, it estimated.
Investment in heat warning systems, water infrastructure and replacing unhealthy wood and coal-burning stoves could generate additional economic benefits of around US$844 billion annually, according to the WHO.
The annual cost of implementing those measures was estimated at just US$35 billion.
WHO health economist Frank Pega warned that basic sanitation systems were particularly vulnerable to climate-related hazards, including flooding, storms and droughts.
Strengthening infrastructure could help reduce diseases such as diarrhoea and pneumonia, he said.
— BERNAMA-dpa