A research that was published in the journal Nature Climate Change showed that human-induced global warming is responsible for over a third of all deaths in the last three decades. Heat, too, played a role in the death, the research showed.

The research used data from 732 locations in 43 countries and showed the first time the actual contribution of human-made climate change in increasing mortality risks due to heat, news agency PTI reported.

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The researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), UK, and the University of Bern in Switzerland found that 37% of all heat-related deaths could be attributed to the warming of the planet caused by human-made activities.

This percentage of heat-related deaths was highest in Central and South America, recording up to 76% in Ecuador or Colombia, for example — and South-East Asia, between 48% and 61%.

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The researchers said that the findings are evidence of the need to reduce further warming of the planet and to implement ways that will protect populations from the adverse consequences of heat exposure.

The study enabled the researchers to separate the warming and related health impact linked with human activities from natural trends, PTI reported.

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Heat-related mortality was defined as the number of deaths attributed to heat, occurring at exposures higher than the optimum temperature for human health, which varies across locations.