GLOBAL POLITICS

PRESENTATION
 Name- ADITYA JHA
Roll Number- 2020POL1077
Course- B.A. (HONS.) POLITICAL SCIENCE
Semester- IV
QUESTION: What is impact
of climate change on
environment and human
health?
What is climate change?
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. Since
the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change,
primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. It generates greenhouse
gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s
heat and raising temperatures. 2010-20 is the warmest decade.
Release of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane cause climate change .
These come from using gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a building,
for example. Clearing land and forests can also release carbon dioxide. Landfills
for garbage are a major source of methane emissions. Energy, industry, transport,
buildings, agriculture and land use are among the main emitters. It causes climate
change by increasing the earth’s temperature.
Climate change can affect our health, ability to grow food, housing, safety and work.
Some of us are already more vulnerable to climate impacts, such as people living
in small island nations and other developing countries. Conditions like sea-level
rise and saltwater intrusion have advanced to the point where whole communities
have had to relocate, and protracted droughts are putting people at risk of famine.
In the future, the number of “climate refugees” is expected to rise.
Impact of climate change on the environment.
Climate change may aggravate erosion, decline in organic matter, salinization, soil
biodiversity loss, landslides, desertification and flooding. The effect of climate change
on soil carbon storage can be related to changing atmospheric CO2 concentrations,
increased temperatures and changing precipitation patterns. Extreme precipitation
events, fast melting of snow or ice, high river discharges and increased droughts are all
climate-related events which influence soil degradation. Deforestation and other
human activities (agriculture, skiing) also play a role. Saline soils are expected to
increase in coastal areas as a result of salt water intrusion from the seaside because of
rising sea levels and (periodically) low river discharges.
Climate change has both direct and indirect impacts on species and ecosystems. There is
clear evidence to show that biodiversity is already responding to climate change and
will continue to do so. Direct impacts include changes in phenology, species abundance
and distribution, community composition, habitat structure and ecosystem processes.
Climate change is also leading to indirect impacts on biodiversity through changes in the
use of land and other resources. These may be more damaging than the direct impacts
due to their scale, scope and speed and include: habitat fragmentation and loss; over-
exploitation; pollution of air, water and soil; and spread of invasive species. They will
further reduce the resilience of ecosystems to climate change and their capacity to
deliver essential services, such as climate regulation, food, clean air and water, and
control of floods or erosion.
 Climate change is predicted to lead to major changes in water availability across
Europe, due to less predictable rainfall patterns and more intense storms. This
will result in increased water scarcity, especially in southern and south-eastern
Europe, and an increased risk of flooding throughout much of the continent.
The resulting changes will affect many land and marine regions and many
different natural environments and species.
 Water temperature is one of the central parameters that determine the overall
health of aquatic ecosystems because aquatic organisms have a specific range of
temperatures they can tolerate. The changes in climate have increased water
temperatures of rivers and lakes, decreased ice cover, thereby affecting water
quality and freshwater ecosystems.
The impacts of climate change, such as increasing sea surface temperatures, ocean
acidification and shifts in currents and wind patterns will significantly alter the
physical and biological make-up of the oceans. Changes in temperatures and
ocean circulation have the potential to change geographical fish distribution. An
increasing sea temperature might also enable alien species to expand into
regions where they previously could not survive. Ocean acidification for
example will have an impact on various calcium carbonate-secreting organisms.
These changes will have unavoidable impacts on coastal and marine
ecosystems, resulting in major socio-economic consequences for many regions.
Impact of climate change on the human health.

Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health

stressors, influences human health and disease in numerous ways. Some
existing health threats will intensify and new health threats will emerge.
Not everyone is equally at risk. Important considerations include age,
economic resources, and location.
In the U.S., public health can be affected by disruptions of physical,
biological, and ecological systems, including disturbances originating
here and elsewhere. The health effects of these disruptions include
increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease, injuries and premature
deaths related to extreme weather events, changes in the prevalence
and geographical distribution of food- and water-borne illnesses and
other infectious diseases, and threats to mental health.
Key Facts

 Climate change affects the social and environmental

determinants of health – clean air, safe drinking water,
sufficient food and secure shelter.
 Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to
cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year,
from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.
 The direct damage costs to health (i.e. excluding costs in
health-determining sectors such as agriculture and water
and sanitation), is estimated to be between USD 2-4
billion/year by 2030.
 Areas with weak health infrastructure – mostly in
developing countries – will be the least able to cope without
assistance to prepare and respond.
 Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases through better
transport, food and energy-use choices can result in
improved health, particularly through reduced air pollution.
Climate change is already impacting health in a myriad of ways, including by leading
to death and illness from increasingly frequent extreme weather events, such as
heatwaves, storms and floods, the disruption of food systems, increases in
zoonoses and food-, water- and vector-borne diseases, and mental health issues.
Furthermore, climate change is undermining many of the social determinants for
good health, such as livelihoods, equality and access to health care and social
support structures. These climate-sensitive health risks are disproportionately felt
by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, including women, children, ethnic
minorities, poor communities, migrants or displaced persons, older populations,
and those with underlying health conditions.
 Although it is unequivocal that climate change affects human health, it remains
challenging to accurately estimate the scale and impact of many climate-sensitive
health risks. However, scientific advances progressively allow us to attribute an
increase in morbidity and mortality to human-induced warming, and more
accurately determine the risks and scale of these health threats.
 In the short- to medium-term, the health impacts of climate change will be
determined mainly by the vulnerability of populations, their resilience to the
current rate of climate change and the extent and pace of adaptation. In the
longer-term, the effects will increasingly depend on the extent to which
transformational action is taken now to reduce emissions and avoid the breaching
of dangerous temperature thresholds and potential irreversible tipping points.
SUMMARY

The effect of climate change impacts the entire global community. Each and
every person and region is affected by it. Climate change has got a holistic
impact.
The effects of climate change on environment and human health is not
separated rather it is similar and dependent on each other. Human beings
and all living beings live in direct association with environment and are
dependent on them. Any change caused to environment will directly impact
the health of human beings. If the temperature is higher or there is any
pollutant in the environment then the health of human beings will surely be
impacted. Hence, it is very much important to address the problem of climate
change in order to safeguard both environment and the human health. This is
because human health depends upon the quality of environment.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

 un.org
 ec.europa.eu
 cdc.gov
 who.int