Temperature-Related Mortality of Global Deforestation

Project by

Nils Hohmuth
Early-Career Fellow 2025–2026

How might global forests help protect people from the rising threat of heat-related deaths driven by climate change? This project investigates that question by combining insights from climate science, health research, and geospatial data.

Nils Hohmuth uses in this project Earth System Model (ESM) simulations to estimate how deforestation and afforestation—large-scale forest loss or gain—could change temperatures around the world. These temperature changes are then combined with data on where people live and how heat affects human health, in order to estimate how many additional deaths could result from forest loss—or how many might be prevented through forest protection. Finally, the project will produce a global map showing where forests most strongly reduce temperature-related mortality, helping countries better understand the human cost of deforestation and make more informed policy decisions.