Professor Benjamin Horton Featured in Inaugural CityUHK Column on TVB News with Expert Insights on Climate Change

Prof. Benjamin Horton, Dean of the School of Energy and Environment (SEE) and Chair Professor of Earth Science at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), is featured in the inaugural article of a new CityUHK column launched on TVB News, one of Hong Kong's leading television news platforms.

In the feature, Prof. Horton sheds light on the often-overlooked consequences of El Niño, explaining that the climate phenomenon is far more than a temporary weather event. Drawing on a recent study published in Nature Climate Change, he highlights how strong El Niño events can have profound and long-lasting effects on public health and economic development across high-income Pacific-rim regions, including Hong Kong.

The piece notes that past extreme El Niños in 1982–83 and 1997–98 reduced life expectancy by about 0.5 and 0.4 years respectively (with Hong Kong seeing similar reductions of 0.6 and 0.4 years), particularly impacting younger populations and the working-age demographic. With recent forecasts indicating a high probability of El Niño forming and persisting through the end of the year, cumulative losses could reach approximately 2.8 years of life expectancy and US$35 trillion in economic costs by 2100 under medium-emission scenarios.

To combat these threats, the feature emphasizes urgent adaptation measures, such as integrating ENSO metrics into public health operations, enhancing heatwave warnings, protecting outdoor workers, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure.

Read the full feature article on TVB News: https://news.tvb.com/tc/1175498-%E5%8E%84%E7%88%BE%E5%B0%BC%E8%AB%BE%E6%AD%A3%E6%82%84%E6%82%84%E6%94%B9%E5%AF%AB%E4%BA%BA%E9%A1%9E%E5%A3%BD%E5%91%BD%E5%9F%8E%E5%A4%A7%E7%84%A1%E5%B0%8F%E4%BA%8B