Malaria has spread to the Himalayan region, and dengue transmission has broadened across India, reflecting an urgent need for action. Developed by 122 experts, the Eighth Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change also highlights critical risks facing coastal communities due to rising sea levels, underscoring the importance of effective flood adaptation measures.
The report calls for India to strengthen its health and climate policies, prioritize financial investments, and develop a robust response to protect its population from climate change's intensifying threats. Globally, the report sheds light on record-breaking climate-induced challenges, with 10 of 15 health risk indicators reaching new highs in 2023. Temperatures that potentially endanger human health were recorded on 50 days this year.
Heat-Related Mortality and Stress
In 2023, rising temperatures marked this year as the hottest on record, causing severe droughts, deadly heatwaves, wildfires, storms, and floods. Heat-related deaths surged, especially among those over 65, with a 167% increase from the 1990s. People experienced an average of 1,512 hours of high temperatures posing moderate heat stress risk—a 27.7% increase since the 1990s. This resulted in a loss of 512 billion potential labor hours and an estimated $835 billion in income losses, with significant impacts on low- and middle-income countries. Extreme precipitation events also increased in 61% of global land areas from 2014 to 2023, escalating flood and disease risks.
Mosquito-Borne Disease Spread
Temperature rises have created conditions conducive to mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, with over 5 million global cases reported in 2023. Environments favorable to diseases such as dengue, malaria, West Nile virus, and vibriosis are spreading even to previously unaffected areas.
Extreme Drought
In 2023, 48% of the global land area experienced at least one month of extreme drought—the second-highest level since 1951—threatening crop yields, water supplies, and food security. Between 1981 and 2010, drought and heatwaves exacerbated food insecurity, affecting an additional 151 million people across 124 countries by 2022.
Positive Developments
Amid these challenges, the Lancet report notes some positive trends: deaths from air pollution declined due to reduced coal burning, and global investment in clean energy reached $1.9 trillion in 2023. Employment in renewable energy hit record highs, highlighting the sector's potential to support job security.