New epidemiological modelling reveals the human cost of environmental degradation across Southeast Asia, with strikingly disparate impacts by country. Indonesia faces the highest burden with 5,200 excess deaths annually from air pollution linked to land use changes, followed by Vietnam at 3,400 deaths and Thailand at 2,600 deaths. The Philippines and Malaysia experience an additional 1,300 and 500 deaths respectively.
These figures, derived from 21st-century regional analysis published in The Lancet Planetary Health, represent conservative estimates of air pollution-related mortality attributable specifically to forest degradation and land cover conversion. The concentration of excess deaths in major Southeast Asian economies highlights how environmental degradation disproportionately impacts densely populated regions undergoing rapid development.
These data underscore the critical need for evidence-based environmental policy interventions that can reduce atmospheric pollutant exposure across vulnerable populations.
Read the full article on GMJ Newsroom.
Was this article helpful?
