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Unprecedented health costs of smoke-related PM2.5 from the 2019–20 Australian megafires

Author

Listed:
  • Fay H. Johnston

    (University of Tasmania)

  • Nicolas Borchers-Arriagada

    (University of Tasmania
    University of Tasmania)

  • Geoffrey G. Morgan

    (University of Sydney)

  • Bin Jalaludin

    (University of New South Wales)

  • Andrew J. Palmer

    (University of Tasmania
    The University of Melbourne)

  • Grant J. Williamson

    (University of Tasmania)

  • David M. J. S. Bowman

    (University of Tasmania)

Abstract

In flammable landscapes around the globe, longer fire seasons with larger, more severely burnt areas are causing social and economic impacts that are unsustainable. The Australian 2019–20 fire season is emblematic of this trend, burning over 8 million ha of predominately Eucalyptus forests over a six-month period. We calculated the wildfire-smoke-related health burden and costs in Australia for the most recent 20 fire seasons and found that the 2019–20 season was a major anomaly in the recent record, with smoke-related health costs of AU$1.95 billion. These were driven largely by an estimated 429 smoke-related premature deaths in addition to 3,230 hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory disorders and 1,523 emergency attendances for asthma. The total cost was well above the next highest estimate of AU$566 million in 2002–03 and more than nine times the median annual wildfire associated costs for the previous 19 years of AU$211 million. There are substantial economic costs attributable to wildfire smoke and the potential for dramatic increases in this burden as the frequency and intensity of wildfires increase with a hotter climate.

Suggested Citation

  • Fay H. Johnston & Nicolas Borchers-Arriagada & Geoffrey G. Morgan & Bin Jalaludin & Andrew J. Palmer & Grant J. Williamson & David M. J. S. Bowman, 2021. "Unprecedented health costs of smoke-related PM2.5 from the 2019–20 Australian megafires," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 42-47, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natsus:v:4:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41893-020-00610-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-00610-5
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    Cited by:

    1. Sonno, Tommaso & Zufacchi, Davide, 2022. "Epidemics and rapacity of multinational companies," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 117802, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Barbara Ryan & Rachel King & Weena Lokuge & Warna Karunasena & Esther Anderson, 2023. "Using an inventory cluster approach for assessing bushfire preparedness and information needs in vulnerable communities," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 115(2), pages 1697-1714, January.
    3. Sadat, Seyyed Ali & Hoex, Bram & Pearce, Joshua M., 2022. "A Review of the Effects of Haze on Solar Photovoltaic Performance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).

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