Over the same period, roughly 345 million people across tropical regions were exposed to higher local temperatures, with daytime surface temperatures rising by an average of 0.27°C in deforested areas.
A new study in Nature Climate Change concludes that tropical deforestation between 2001 and 2020 is linked to as many as 28,330 heat-related deaths per year worldwide. The researchers highlight a clear takeaway: sustainable forest management is crucial to protect communities as temperatures rise.
RELEVANT SUSTAINABLE GOALS
Forests Are a Public-Health ShieldS
Drawing on two decades of observational data, the study finds that global heat-related deaths in tropical regions reach approximately 28,000 annually due to deforestation. Over the same period, roughly 345 million people across tropical regions were exposed to higher local temperatures, with daytime surface temperatures rising by an average of 0.27°C in deforested areas.
Southeast Asia (ASEAN) emerges as the most severely affected region, recording the highest mortality rates linked to heat associated with forest loss among all tropical areas. In deforested zones, heat-related mortality reached 8–11 deaths per 100,000 people. The study identifies Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam among the most affected countries, with Cambodia and Vietnam on the Southeast Asian mainland also showing marked temperature increases.
A Widening Exposure
Between 2001 and 2020, approximately 122 million people in Southeast Asia were affected by temperature rises caused by deforestation—74% of the population living in forest-loss areas in the region. The researchers report that heat-related deaths linked to deforestation account for 1.6% of all non-accidental deaths in affected areas.
The study points to the loss of “evapotranspirational cooling,” the natural process by which plants release water vapour that lowers local temperatures. When forests are cleared, this cooling effect disappears, driving rapid and intense local temperature increases and elevating heat stress for nearby populations.
Economic Stakes Alongside Health
The authors warn of long-term economic impacts, particularly in low-income tropical countries with limited adaptive capacity, including many ASEAN nations. Reduced work capacity due to heat stress could exacerbate poverty, compounding the health toll of deforestation-driven warming.
The findings underscore an urgent, practical path: sustainable forest management to mitigate adverse health impactsand strengthen community resilience as climate conditions change. In the study’s framing, forests function not only as ecological assets but as critical infrastructure for public health and economic stability.
The data are stark: 28,000 heat-related deaths annually tied to tropical deforestation, with ASEAN most at risk. The prescription is equally clear in the study’s conclusions—protect and manage forests to safeguard lives, livelihoods, and the economies that depend on them.
