HE weather conditioned And heating have contributed significantly reduce death rate related to extreme temperatures in Spain, according to a study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), a center supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation. The results, published in Environment International, provide valuable information for experts. Design climate change adaptation policies.
Temperatures are rising but death rates are falling
Like many parts of the world, Spain experienced a crisis. increase in temperatures Recent years have seen an average annual increase of 0.36 °C per decade. The warming trend is even more pronounced in summer (0.40 °C per decade).
Surprisingly, this increase in temperature is a Gradual decrease in heat-related deaths. There was also a decrease in cold-related deaths.
«Understanding factors that reduce sensitivity extreme temperatures It is crucial to inform health compliance policies and combating the negative effects of climate change», says Hicham Achebak, first author of the study, researcher at ISGlobal and Inserm (France) and recipient of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowship from the European Commission.
Effective social adaptations
In this study, Achebak and colleagues analyzed. demographic and socioeconomic factors This explains this decrease in death rates due to heat and cold, despite the increase in temperatures.
They found that there was an increase Prevalence of air conditioning (AC) in Spain While it is associated with a decrease in the mortality rate due to warming, the increase in the prevalence of warming is Death rates decreased due to cold.
Specifically, air conditioning reduced heat deaths by 28.6% and extreme heat deaths by 31.5% between the late 1980s and early 2010s. Similarly, heating systems were responsible for a 38.3% reduction in cold-related deaths and a significant 50.8% reduction in extreme cold-related deaths. Deaths in the same period cold death This rate would fall even further if it were not for the increase in the proportion of people over 65 who are more sensitive to low temperatures.
The authors conclude: reducing mortality rate This temperature-related situation is largely due to the socioeconomic development of the country in the period studied, rather than specific interventions such as heat wave warning systems.
Forty years of data
For statistical analysis, the research team collected relevant data. daily death (for all reasons) and climate (temperature and relative humidity) 48 provinces of the Spanish peninsula and the Balearic IslandsBetween January 1980 and December 2018.
These data were then linked to 14 context indicators (demographic and socioeconomic variables such as housing, income, and education) for these populations over the same period.
Adaptation to climate change
Study findings extend previous results Heat-related deaths in Spain and emphasize the importance air conditioning and heating are effective adaptation measures to alleviate the effects of heat and cold.
“But we observe There are large disparities between provinces in the presence of CA. Achebak notes that the cost of air conditioning is unaffordable for many Spanish households.
The authors also note that: Widespread use of air conditioning may further contribute to global warming Depending on the source of electrical energy, other strategies are also necessary to reduce temperatures, such as expanding green and blue areas in cities.
“Our findings have important implications for the development of strategies.” adaptation to climate change. They also report future predictions of the impact of climate change on human health,” concludes Joan Ballester, ISGlobal researcher and coordinator of the study.