The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health

Abstract

It is no more news that climate change and variability are greatly impacting our daily lives. Variations in temperature and extreme event trends that we have witnessed in the past decades are consequences of the increase in greenhouse gases concentration, which are subsequently affecting the Human Health. This in turn, certainly affects the quality of life and general well-being of each individual. This paper is intended to evaluate how climate change and variability is affecting, be it directly or indirectly, the human health, the quality of lives and its economic implications. Given the expansive implications climate change carries on human health, it should be regarded of fundamental importance, not only to doctors and health professionals, but also to individuals in any sphere of life, as no one living in this planet is immune to climate change impacts. Climate change is the greatest pressing threat to human health today, and it must be addressed via a combination of mitigation and adaptation techniques. We can all agree that the current generation has the responsibility and the only chance to reverse the present climate change trend before it is too late for the next one. The global human health effects of climate change are not commonly spoken about as frequently as it should be as it is the cause of many diseases, or at least reason to exacerbate pre-existing conditions. Now, thankfully there is a much greater interest in climate change’s effect on human health, and thanks to a considerable progress in new technologies developed around the world, we are now able to evaluate various climate stressors and their potential health impacts. The issue remains that these impacts have a wide range of repercussion that exacerbate the current and future public health burden as well as socio-economical dimensions. Sadly, those with the least capacity to adapt to climate change are the ones which are most vulnerable, including people of third world countries and disadvantaged populations such as the poor, racial and ethnic minorities in industrialized countries, creating environmental justice imbalance among different countries and areas. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to definitely attribute the responsibilities of climate change impacts to certain countries, even though it’s globally undisputed that most developed countries have unfairly contributed to the vast emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Climate change does not only threaten the physical structure and human health, but it also damages the whole socio-economic structure that is key to maintaining a healthy and stable society. So, what we do today against climate change, is what will define the future wellbeing of our environment. In view of an unavoidable climate change scenario, adequate adaption and aggressive mitigation strategies are the best actions to focus on. This thesis is mainly focusing on highlighting the major impacts of climate change on human health by identifying the direct, indirect and social effects.