By Hedelberto López Blanch * / Special Collaboration for Resumen Latinoamericano.
The news, although predicted in recent years by scientists and political leaders, is alarming: Losses from natural disasters reached $100 billion during the first half of 2026, according to a study by the Swiss Re Institute.
Among the major natural disasters analyzed are the earthquakes in Venezuela, Colombia, and Indonesia, which “are a stark reminder that earthquakes remain a constant risk for much of Latin America and the world, with the potential to devastate lives, communities, and local economies in an instant.”
In Europe, heat waves and drought have been extremely harmful to many citizens and have driven up mortality in several nations, such as Germany, where heat-related deaths this summer have reached 14,000.
Around 9,600 of those deaths were recorded in a single week at the end of June, when Germany experienced temperatures exceeding 40°C, according to the Robert Koch Institute.
As for Spain, the National Institute of Public Health recorded almost 4,500 heat-related deaths since June 1, while French health authorities reported more than 7,300 deaths during the same period.
That is why the visionary words of the leader of the Cuban Revolution at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 resonate more powerfully around the world each day, when he predicted:
“An important biological species is at risk of disappearing due to the rapid and progressive destruction of its natural living conditions: humankind. We are only now becoming aware of this problem when it is almost too late to prevent it. It is necessary to point out that developed societies are primarily responsible for the atrocious destruction of the environment.”
A study led by the University of Oxford, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, indicated that if global warming reaches 2°C, approximately 3.79 billion people will be living under severe thermal conditions by mid-century.
This figure represents almost double the population affected in 2010, demonstrating that the climate crisis is advancing at a much faster pace than previous projections suggested.
Latin America stands out among the most critical regions, even if the 1.5°C warming limit is not exceeded.
Researchers emphasize that extreme heat is not just a desperate matter and warn that it will directly impact public health, as there will be an increase in mortality from heatstroke and cardiovascular disease.
Other effects are also emerging, as successive heat waves and the intense drought plaguing Europe have led agriculture to an unprecedented crisis, with losses particularly affecting vegetable and cereal crops, where “catastrophic” harvests are expected, according to a recent report in the British newspaper The Guardian.
In France, the production of some vegetables has plummeted: broccoli production has fallen by 60%, peas by 40%, and artichokes by between 50% and 100%. Furthermore, the corn harvest could be reduced by 35% compared to 2025, to around 9 million tons, a level not seen since 1980.
The impact also extends to livestock farming, according to The Guardian. French producers are reporting declines of between 10% and 15% in milk production, while hay production for winter livestock feed is around 30% below the historical average. Egg production has also fallen, with nearly one million fewer eggs per day due to high bird mortality during heat waves.
The situation is being repeated in other countries. More than 60% of Italy’s agricultural land is suffering from some degree of drought, with losses exceeding €3 billion (more than $3.4 billion). In Spain, cereal harvests have registered sharp declines in several regions, and the wine sector anticipates a 20% drop in production by 2026.
Another study by DTU Space, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth, asserts that climate change is affecting the Arctic at an accelerated pace, with significant ice loss in Greenland. It adds that for 28 consecutive years, the Greenland ice sheet has lost more ice than it produces, posing a serious threat to human and natural environments worldwide.
The Greenland ice sheet is one of the planet’s largest freshwater resources, containing the equivalent of a 7.4-meter global sea level rise. Every centimeter of this rise exposes approximately six million people to coastal flooding.
Flooding in such densely populated areas would trigger a massive displacement of people (climate refugees) from low-lying areas.
As ocean temperatures rise, hurricanes will become increasingly violent and dangerous, leaving in their wake the destruction of cities, crops, infrastructure, famine, and disease.
That is why, time and again, we must reread Fidel Castro’s prophetic speech in Rio de Janeiro, when he forcefully and with great conviction declared: “Forests are disappearing, deserts are expanding, billions of tons of fertile soil are being washed into the sea every year. Numerous species are becoming extinct. Population pressure and poverty are leading to desperate efforts to survive, even at the expense of nature. It is not possible to blame the Third World countries for this—colonies yesterday, nations exploited and plundered today by an unjust world economic order.”
And we are left only to ask: Will the developed countries, the ones most responsible for this danger, finally become aware of the situation, or will they wait until it is too late for everyone?
(*) Hedelberto López Blanch is a renowned Cuban journalist. He writes for the newspaper Juventud Rebelde and the weekly Opciones. He is the author of “Cuban Emigration to the United States,” “Secret Stories of Cuban Doctors in Africa,” and “Miami, Dirty Money,” among others.
[ SOURCE: RESUMEN LATINOAMERICANO Y DEL TERCER MUNDO CUBA / EN RESUMEN ]
