Does climate change pose a threat to public health in France? The example of heat waves

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global warming is unequivocal and is primarily caused by human activity. Rising temperatures are affecting all regions of the globe, particularly Europe and France (Figure 1). The climatic and environmental impacts of this warming are already visible: an increase in the number of hot days and nights, the frequency of heat waves across much of Europe, Asia, and Australia, the frequency or intensity of heavy precipitation events in North America and Europe, rising average sea levels, impacts on terrestrial and marine ecosystems... (1). The period 2011–2015 was characterized by a very large number of extreme weather events (heat waves, cold waves, floods, droughts...), whose link to climate change is now recognized (4). The strongest influence concerns heat waves; climate change may have increased the probability of certain events occurring between 2011 and 2014 by a factor of 10 (4).

Author(s): Pascal M, Laaidi K, Beaudeau P

Publishing year: 2017

Pages: 4 p.

In relation to

Our latest news

news

2026 “Sexual Behavior” Survey (ERAS) for men who have sex with men

news

Hervé Maisonneuve has been appointed scientific integrity officer for a...

Visuel illustratif

news

Public Health France 2026 Barometer: Launch of the Survey