Due to climate change, the recent severe heatwaves experienced worldwide are becoming more intense and frequent. According to a recent assessment from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), this severe heat is having a demonstrable effect on air quality, human health, and the ecosystem. This is because it is being exacerbated by wildfires and desert dust.
“Heatwaves worsen air quality, with knock-on effects on human health, ecosystems, agriculture and indeed our daily lives,” averred WMO Secretary-General Prof Petteri Taalas. “Climate change and air quality cannot be treated separately. They go hand-in-hand and must be tackled together to break this vicious cycle.”
“Wildfires have roared through huge swathes of Canada, caused tragic devastation and death in Hawaii, and also inflicted major damage and casualties in the Mediterranean region. This has caused dangerous air quality levels for many millions of people, and sent plumes of smoke across the Atlantic and into the Arctic,” Prof Taalas mentioned.
The research showed that climate change brought on by heat-trapping greenhouse gases produced by human activity is a long-term worldwide concern.
Ozone-induced crop losses for major food crops range from 4.4 to 12.4% globally, with losses for wheat and soybeans reaching up to 30% in important agricultural regions of East Asia.
