A study published on Tuesday indicated that limiting global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius could prevent hundreds of thousands of heat-related deaths in the Middle East and North Africa.
The study published by the journal "The Lancet Planetary Health" Scientific research indicates that reducing greenhouse gas emissions would prevent 80% of deaths related to hot weather, compared to a scenario in which no reductions take place.
In the case of this last scenario, the study predicts that 123 people per 100,000 inhabitants will die from causes related to high temperatures annually until the end of the current century, more than 60 times the current death rate.
The rate proposed by the study includes 19 countries, but in Iran in particular, the rate is likely to rise to 423 deaths per 100,000 people.
Representatives of 196 member states of the United Nations agreed during a conference in Paris in 2015 to ensure that the temperature rise does not exceed 2 degrees Celsius compared to the situation before the industrial revolution, and within the limits of 1.5 degrees, if possible.
The main author of the study, Shakur Hagat, told AFP that the repercussions of exceeding the threshold of two degrees Celsius will be "disastrous".
He stressed the need to "Countries in the region are developing methods other than air conditioning to protect their citizens from the dangers of extreme heat".
added "Public health measures, national heat protection plans and alert systems can be imposed. It is a common procedure in Europe, North America and some parts of Asia but not in the Middle East".
He pointed out the need to develop "Many countries in the Middle East and North Africa are adjusting their health systems to cope with the repercussions of climate change".
** the bell of danger
A climate study published last year showed that the Middle East region is getting warmer twice more than the global average, which could have devastating effects on its people and economies.
As a result, more than 400 million people in the region are at risk of exposure to extreme heat waves, prolonged drought, and rising sea levels, according to the study, to which a large number of researchers contributed and whose results were published two months before the United Nations Climate Conference (COP27) hosted by Egypt. last november.
