Tropical deforestation has been found to significantly contribute to rising heat-related deaths. A new study published in Nature Climate Change reports that around 28,000 heat-related deaths occur each year across the tropics due to forest loss.
The research shows that Southeast Asia is among the hardest-hit regions. In deforested areas, heat-related mortality reaches 8–11 deaths per 100,000 people, and in some locations—such as Vietnam—it rises to as high as 29 per 100,000.
Researchers note that more than one-third of all heat-related deaths in tropical regions can be directly linked to local deforestation.
Impact in Indonesia
In Indonesia, the impact is particularly evident in Berau, East Kalimantan. Between 2002 and 2018, deforestation raised average local temperatures by 0.86 °C, which is estimated to have caused 101–118 additional deaths each year, or about 7–8 percent of the area’s total mortality.
Another study found that a 0.95 °C increase linked to deforestation reduced safe working hours for outdoor laborers by about 20 minutes per day and caused 118 additional deaths in 2018 alone.
Meanwhile, data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry shows that the country still experienced net deforestation of 175,400 hectares in 2024.
Researchers emphasize that deforestation is not only about biodiversity loss or carbon emissions—it also poses a serious public health crisis. Tropical forests act as natural cooling systems, and when tree cover disappears, surrounding communities become increasingly vulnerable to heat stress, illness, and premature death. (Wage Erlangga)
