Worst 5 Effects Of Climate Change on Your Health

Human activities over the past few decades have resulted in this day when global temperatures are rising. The rise in temperature has resulted in climate-related changes around the world. Places like Canada, which are known for their cold weather, have faced an unexpected increase in temperature. Some regions are facing excessive snowfall, which is also because of climate change.

One of the main reasons for climatic change is the release of excessive greenhouse gases into the environment. The increased greenhouse gases trap more heat, which has resulted in increasing global temperatures.

Over years, extreme weather events have become more frequent with rising temperatures. Climatic change because of global warming is making life inhabitable for a good deal of flora and fauna. Everyone’s health is getting affected by climate change be it humans, plants, or animals.

What Is Impact of Climate Change on Your Health?

With changing climate, access to basic amenities like clean water, air, food, and shelter are getting affected. Some estimates say that there would be additional 250,000 deaths between 2030 and 2050 due to climate change-related diseases.

Read on for how uncommon events resulting because of climate change are affecting your health.

#1. Extreme Heat

Extreme heat is one of the primary effects of climate change on your health. Extremely high temperatures that result from climatic change are causing many deaths. As people suffer from cardiovascular or respiratory diseases with a sudden increase in temperatures. Older peoples are amongst the most affected people due to increased temperatures.

As per a recently published Lancet report over 356,000 people died in 2019 as a result of extreme heat. Recently occurred heat dome effect in western Canada resulted in about 500 human deaths and is estimated to have killed about 1 billion marine animals.

The high temperatures also raise the level of pollutants and ozone in the air, which results in increased cases of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. The extreme heat resulting from climatic changes is also damaging our forests. The cases of forest fires are increasing worldwide and climate change is the reason behind it.

#2. Increase in Natural Disasters

The occurrence of weather-related natural disasters has increased many folds in the last few decades. Every year there are reports of flooding or cloudbusting. There have been reports of about 60,000 deaths every year because of weather-related natural disasters.

Rising sea levels are destroying the houses and facilities near the sea. It is estimated that Maldives the island nation could sink by 2100 if nothing for controlling the rising sea levels. Such events could cause mass migration, which can cause a disease breakout.

#3. Changing Rainfall Patterns

There have been extreme variations in rainfall patterns all around the world. Some regions are receiving excessive rains and others are facing droughts. This variation in rainfall patterns is affecting the supply of fresh drinking water. The lack of safe drinking water can cause reduced hygiene and increased chances of diarrhea breakout. Water scarcity can also cause droughts and lead to famine breakout.

With an increase in floods frequency and intensity, contamination of freshwater supplies has also increased. The chances of water-borne diseases have also increased as water becomes a breeding ground for mosquitos. Because of floods, many crops also get damaged along with houses.

The changing rainfall patterns have created many problems for people around the world.

#4. Increase In Vector-Borne Diseases and Infections

Vector-borne diseases are spread by disease vectors like mosquitos, ticks, and fleas. These vectors can carry highly infectious viruses and bacteria that cause diseases like malaria and dengue.

Changes in temperatures, excessive rains, and result in an increase in the spread of such diseases. The change in weather can cause a sudden increase in the number of diseases spreading mosquitos. The developing or poorer countries face higher risks of the breakout of such climate-sensitive diseases.

#5. Food Safety

Food safety also gets impact because of adverse events occurring as an effect of climate change. Events like floods can disrupt the food distribution networks resulting in people dying of hunger or under nutriment.  

With the increase in temperatures, cases of food poisoning caused by certain bacteria also increases. These bacteria can cause intestinal infection and in severe cases death. The increased level of carbon in areas is affecting the growth of some crops by making them less nutritious.

Climatic change can affect all aspects of food, from its production to distribution.

Key Facts About Effect of Climate Change on Your Health

1. Climatic changes can be harmful for health as it can affect basic needs of human beings like clean air, clean & safe drinking water, nutritious food and safe shelter.
2. It is estimated that climate related diseases will cause additional 250,000 deaths between 2030 and 2050.
3. Developing countries with weak health infrastructure are going to suffer most with climate change and related events.
4. Reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases by transports, manufacturing, and using eco-friendly energy sources can help improve air quality.
5. With rising sea level, it is anticipated that island country of Maldives will fully submerge under sea by 2100, if nothing is done about climate change.

Potential Solutions to Effect of Climate Change on Your Health

As you might have realized by now, climate change poses a serious threat to our health and health-related services.

Read on for potential solutions that can help us in reducing the effects of the environment on public health.

#1. Strengthening The Public Health Services

As it is anticipated that vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue can stay for longer durations with an increase in cases of flooding. These sudden increases can put the public health systems under stress. The need of the hour is to prepare the health infrastructure to handle sudden surges in such cases. Providing better facilities for primary care can help in the early detection of diseases and save lives.

#2. Make Your Communities Healthier

There is no doubt in saying that you can’t combat climate change and its effects without having healthy communities. Promoting active healthy lifestyles among the public can help reduce the chances of disease spread.

Promoting the use of public transport, cycling, or any other alternatives to reduce vehicles on the road. This can help in reducing carbon emissions to some extent and provide cleaner air inside city limits. Cleaner air means reduced chances of cardiovascular or respiratory diseases among the public.

#3. Improving Water Management

Climate change has affected the rainfall patterns that have resulted in some regions receiving excessive rains and others facing droughts. In such cases, sources of safe drinking water become scarce. The lack of clean drinking water has effects on hygiene and can cause a breakout of diarrhea. Water scarcity can also cause drought, famine breakout, and migration.

By improving water management, such events can be prevented to some extent. The development of better sanitation facilities and drainage systems can help reduce effects on health. Collection of rainwater or rainwater harvesting can help mitigate the conditions like drought.   

#4. Develop Robust Food Distribution Programs

Climate change effects like flooding, excessive heat, or droughts can also cause food scarcity. As climate change events can affect the food supply chains and production of food grains. To minimize the effects of climate change on food supply, a robust food distribution network needs to be built. These networks should be prepared to handle all sorts of challenges that might arise because of climate change.

Conclusion

Climate change is the reality and its effects are being seen the world around with increased cases of excessive heat, flooding, and cloud bursts. The effects of climate change on health are numerous there have been many excessive deaths due to the effects of climate change.

Although we need to reduce carbon emission to reverse the effects of climate change. But it is not possible to reverse effects overnight. So, health infrastructures need to be prepared to handle the challenges that are waiting for us.

Read more about the effect environment has on health here.