The hot summer of 2022 in Europe led to more than 61,000 deaths due to heat-related causes, with a disproportionate impact on women, a comprehensive study published in Nature Medicine journal has found.
Between July 18 and 24 last year, a severe pan-European heatwave was proved particularly fatal with 11,637 deaths.
Analysing data from 823 regions across 35 European countries, covering a population of more than 543 million, the research team used temperature and mortality data from 2015 to 2022.
Most concerning was the period from mid-July to mid-August, which presented the highest temperature anomalies and resulted in 38,881 deaths, the study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the French National Institute of Health (Inserm) found.
A breakdown by country showed Italy had the highest number of heat-related deaths with 18,010, followed by Spain with 11,324 and Germany with 8,173.
When examining temperature anomalies, France was the country with the highest temperature increase, at 2.43°C above the average for 1991-2020.
Temperatures in the UK exceeded 40°C for the first time on record in July 2022.
Switzerland, Italy, Hungary and Spain also experienced significant increases.
Disproportionate impact
A key finding of the study was the disproportionate impact of the heat on women.
Heat-related deaths were 63 per cent higher among women than men, with 35,406 premature deaths in women compared to 21,667 deaths in men.
The impact was especially notable in those over the age of 80, where the female mortality rate was 27 per cent higher than that of men.
However, the male mortality rate was 41 per cent higher in those under 65, and 13 per cent higher in those aged 65-79.
Reflecting on previous heatwaves, the researchers drew comparisons with the severe 2003 event, which resulted in over 70,000 excess deaths, the highest summer mortality ever recorded in Europe.
Joan Ballester Claramunt, first author of the study and researcher at ISGlobal, highlighted: “The summer of 2003 was an exceptionally rare phenomenon, even when taking into account the anthropogenic warming observed until then.
“This exceptional nature highlighted the lack of prevention plans and the fragility of health systems to cope with climate-related emergencies.”
However, Mr Ballester also pointed out that the 2022 event could not be considered an outlier.
He said: “In contrast, the temperatures recorded in the summer of 2022 cannot be considered exceptional, in the sense that they could have been predicted by following the temperature series of previous years, and that they show that warming has accelerated over the last decade.”
Highlighting the inadequacy of current adaptation strategies, Hicham Achebak, a researcher at Inserm and ISGlobal, emphasised: “The fact that more than 61,600 people in Europe died of heat stress in the summer of 2022, even though, unlike in 2003, many countries already had active prevention plans in place, suggests that the adaptation strategies currently available may still be insufficient.”
He added: “The acceleration of warming observed over the last ten years underlines the urgent need to reassess and substantially strengthen prevention plans.”
Dr Raquel Nunes, assistant professor in environmental change and public health at The University of Warwick, added: “The high number of heat-related deaths during the summer of 2022 in Europe highlights the urgent need for action to protect vulnerable populations from the impacts of heatwaves.”
Dr Chloe Brimicombe, a climate scientist and extreme heat researcher at the University of Graz, also voiced her concerns: “This study highlights a key heat risk across Europe but especially to women.
“It demonstrates that heat prevention strategies need to be re-evaluated, with gender and age especially in mind.”
The study projects more than 68,000 premature deaths each summer by 2030 and over 94,000 by 2040, if effective adaptation strategies are not put in place.
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About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
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Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Desert Warrior
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One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
