Climate change is having a more severe impact on the poor, even mercilessly. According to a study in Idaho, United States (US).
The study shows that low-income people face 40% more heat exposure than those on higher incomes.
Quoted from United Press International, by the end of this century, exposure to heat waves for the poorest 25% of people worldwide will be equal to the rest of the global population combined.
This record is obtained after taking into account access to air conditioning or air conditioning, shelter from the cold, heat safety rules for outdoor workers and heat safety awareness campaigns, according to research published recently in the journal Earth's Future.
"We had expected to see a difference. But seeing a quarter of the world face as much exposure as the other three quarters combined, it was quite surprising," said study lead author Mojtaba Sadegh, a climatologist at Boise State University in Idaho.
Researchers also say that by 2100, the world's poorest people will face 23 more heatwave days than the richest people.
They note that many densely populated and low-income areas are located in the tropics and the population is expected to increase, which will increase the economic disparity in exposure to heat waves.
Sadegh points out that the findings add to growing evidence that low-income countries will be hardest hit by climate change, even though it is high-income countries that emit most of the greenhouse gases.
Gathering more data on the frequency and response of heatwaves in low-income countries is vital, said Kristie Ebi, a professor at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the University of Washington who was not involved in the research.
"We know from so much experience that issuing heatwave forecasts is not enough to ensure that people know what appropriate action they need to take," concluded Ebi.