India will suffer intense heat as climate change scorches billions by 2050! Warns study

New Delhi: A study by Oxford University has shocked everyone. The study warns that if the threat of global warming continues to escalate, billions of people worldwide will be exposed to dangerous levels of heat in the coming decades. The study indicates that if the Earth's average temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which now seems highly probable, nearly half of the world's population (approximately 3.79 billion people) will be subjected to extreme heat by 2050.

What has the research revealed?

The researchers say that even before this, at a 1.5-degree Celsius increase, the impact of heat will intensify rapidly. While 23% of the world's population experienced extreme heat in 2010, this figure could soon reach 41%.

The impact of heat will increase most rapidly in some countries such as the Central African Republic, Nigeria, South Sudan, Laos, and Brazil. Meanwhile, densely populated countries like India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, and the Philippines will see the largest number of people affected by the heat.

Will cold countries be affected?

The study, published in the journal 'Nature Sustainability', also reveals that even colder countries will not be spared from the heat. If the temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius, the number of hot days will double in countries like Austria and Canada.

In the UK, Sweden, and Finland, there will be an increase of approximately 150% in such days, while in Norway and Ireland, this increase could be 200% or even more.

The study's lead author, Dr. Jesus Lizana, an Associate Professor of Engineering Science, explains that most of the changes in heating and cooling demand will occur even before the 1.5-degree Celsius limit is crossed. This means that we need to start preparing to cope with the heat now.

Homes and buildings in colder countries are not designed to withstand such high temperatures. Therefore, millions of homes may need to install air conditioning (AC) in the coming years. Oxford experts also say that if the temperature rises by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, it will have a huge impact on health, education, agriculture, and migration. Furthermore, the demand for air conditioning and electricity will increase significantly worldwide.