How do heatwaves impact economies? 5 climate change stories to read this week

Global warming is causing heatwaves to become increasingly common around the world, with Australia recording its hottest day earlier this year with a temperature of 50.7C on its western coast, while the UK did the same just this week.

Outside of the health risks to humans, heatwaves can also hurt economies. The International Labour Organization predicts that by 2030, heatwaves could reduce the number of hours worked globally by more than 2%. This translates to a cost of $2.4 trillion to the global economy.

Read more on how heatwaves have an economic impact on the world.

A new study from the Academy of Sciences Malaysia finds that a $10 billion investment in the region's forests and seas today - rising to $46 billion by 2030 - could result in benefits equivalent to $2.19 trillion a year.

This study comes in time for COP15 – the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity – which aims to set international targets for preserving biodiversity.

South-East Asia has the potential to be a global role model when it comes to achieving prosperity through conservation. Read more here.

Climate change is driving weather patterns that are causing frequent bushfires, floods and droughts across Australia. Aboriginal burning techniques could help mitigate the risks that bushfires pose to the nation by protecting the biodiversity of Australian forests.

Indigenous knowledge has also illuminated the role of some species of birds in spreading fires. The birds pick up burning branches and drop them in unburned areas to hunt prey.

Explore how Indigenous methods can help inform fire management in Australia and the world.

Edge-computing investments are expected to grow 15% year on year in 2022, with the energy demands on data centres only set to increase. As a result, businesses need to look to the circular economy to become more sustainable.

The design life of a data centre is only 10-15 years, according to experts.

Learn how data centres can transform into a circular economy and become more sustainable.

Every year, the amount of land scorched by wildfires in California increases, with the annual cost of mitigation up from $61 million in the 1990s to more than $400 million in the 2010s.

The Washburn Fire has burned at least 1,591 acres of land since 7 July, forcing 1,600 people to evacuate from the area as it heads towards Yosemite National Park’s ancient giant sequoias.

Read more on the impact of Californian wildfires over recent years.