UN sounds the alarm Number of heat-related deaths among senior citizens has almost doubled
Climate change is leading to more extreme weather conditions, including heatwaves. A report by the UN Environment Program identifies particular risks for one population group.
11.07.2025, 21:30
dpa
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- Man-made climate change is causing heatwaves to occur more frequently and more severely.
- Older people in particular are at risk, as a report by the UN Environment Program (Unep) points out.
- According to the report, annual heat-related deaths among older people have risen by an estimated 85% since the 1990s, almost doubling.
- The problem is getting worse because more and more people are living in cities. However, due to a lack of compensating green spaces, they heat up particularly quickly.
Heatwaves in Europe and elsewhere have shown this: Older people are particularly at risk in such extreme conditions. A report by the UN Environment Program (Unep) highlights the risk: annual heat-related deaths among older people are estimated to have risen by 85% since the 1990s.
Alongside flooding, heatwaves are one of the most frequent and deadliest consequences of climate change, said Unep Executive Director Inger Andersen. "We need to be prepared for the risks that these impacts bring, especially for the most vulnerable in society, including the elderly."
An estimated 85 percent more deaths
Older people - especially those suffering from chronic illnesses or frailty and with limited mobility - are particularly susceptible to heat-related health problems, including respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, the report states. The mortality rate is also higher in this group.
What's more, densely built-up cities heat up particularly intensely during a heatwave - especially where there is a lack of green spaces to compensate. And more and more people are moving to urban areas. According to the Unep report, around 57 percent of the world's population currently lives in cities, and this figure is expected to rise to 68 percent by 2050.
The proportion of older city dwellers is also growing steadily. Many older people are looking to live in the city in order to have access to better healthcare facilities, social activities and reliable public transport, among other things.
High humidity as an additional risk factor
The higher the humidity, the greater the health risk, as this limits the body's ability to cool down through perspiration. According to the Unep report, heatwaves with high humidity are already occurring more frequently in the low-lying tropical regions of India, Pakistan and eastern China as well as in the countries on the Persian Gulf.
According to the Unep report, it is not only heat waves but also other extreme weather conditions that pose a higher risk for older people than for society as a whole. Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005 is cited as an example. At that time, 75 percent of the fatalities were over 60 years old - although only 16 percent of the affected population belonged to this age group. In addition to physical limitations, social and economic disadvantages could also have contributed to the higher proportion of fatalities, it is said.
Suggestions for solutions
According to the report, better planning in cities can limit the urban heat island effect and reduce the accumulation of heat-related illnesses and deaths. Above all, this is possible with more green spaces, water areas and connecting corridors for air currents.
The forecasts of the environmental program are supported by a study published this week by an international team of researchers on the consequences of the recent heatwave in Europe in twelve major cities. 88 percent of the estimated deaths from the end of June to the beginning of July were in the 65+ age group, reported the team, which includes attribution expert Friederike Otto from Imperial College London.
Europe is the continent that warms up the most in summer, the report continues. In the summer of 2022, more than 60,000 people died there due to heat - half of which, according to studies, were caused by climate change. In the following year, there were 47,000 heat-related deaths.
