Over 1.30 lakh climate change deaths predicted in India, says Oxford University study

Over 1.30 lakh deaths due to climate change have been projected in India with changes in methods of food production, a study conducted by the University of Oxford revealed. The Lok Sabha was informed about the report on Tuesday.

"The study conducted by the University of Oxford on 'global and regional health effects of future food production under climate change, a modelling study..., projected 1.36 lakh expected climate-related deaths in India due to changes in food production based on probabilistic estimates," Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave was quoted by the Indian Express as saying.

"Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause increase in deaths due to malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress," Dave added, while citing a book published by the World Health Organisation, titled, 'quantitative risk assessment of the effects of climate change on selected causes of death, 2030s and 2050s' in 2014.

Dave further added that the Environment Ministry had published a report titled 'climate change in India a 4X4 assessment – a sectoral and regional analysis for 2030s' in 2010, which "projected a variable rate of change in agriculture production including losses in some crops, change in the composition of the forest and net primary productivity and spread of malaria in new areas."

The report had evaluated the effect or influence of climate change on the four important sectors of the Indian economy - agriculture, water, natural ecosystems and biodiversity – as well as on health in four climate sensitive regions - Himalayan region, the Western Ghats, the coastal area and the north eastern region, the daily reported.