Climate change and its impact on health

Beneficial for studying Environment and climate change

1. Climate change and its impact on health Presented by:- Arun Raj & Midhun Rajiv Masters in public Health. Amrita institute of medical sciences, kochi , kerala . 1

2. We will be discussing- INTRODUCTION - What is climate? - What is climate change? - Climate change: How do we know? - Climate change: How it affect us? CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH: -Direct -Indirect CLIMATE CHANGE: WHO IS AT RISK? ? - World HOW THE NATIONS ADDRESSED CLIMATE CHANGE? -India -Kerala CLIMATE CHANGE: WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? IPCC CONCLUSION 2

3. Introduction What is climate?? Climate : Climate in a narrow sense is usually defined as the "average weather" ( Climate Change 2007: Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability ,glossary ) [ “ Weather refers to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity”] or, “the statistical description in terms of the mean and variability of relevant quantities* over a period of time ranging from months to thousands of years . The classical period is 3 decades” , - The World Meteorological Organization (WMO). [*temperature, precipitation, and wind] 3

4. What is climate change?? Climate change  refers to any change in  climate  over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity. ( Climate Change 2007: Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability ,glossary ) According to the  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) , ‘climate change’ is defined as: ‘ a change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global  atmosphere  and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods’. ( IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 4

5. Climate change: How do we know? Global temperature rise (Global warming) Temperature has risen about 2.0 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since the late 19th century , CO2 emission. Each of the last 3 decades has been successively warmer than any preceding decade since 1850. Most of the warming occurred in the past 35 years , with 16 of the 17 warmest years on record occurring since 2001. 2016 is the warmest year recorded. 5

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7. Sea level rise Global sea level rose about 8 inches in the last century. Warming oceans The oceans have absorbed much of this increased heat, with the top 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) of ocean showing warming of 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969 Shrinking ice sheets Glacial retreat : Glaciers are retreating almost everywhere around the world — including in the Alps, Himalayas, Andes, Rockies, Alaska and Africa. Extreme events Ocean acidification : Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of surface ocean waters has increased by about 30 percent Decreased snow cover 7

8. Climate change: How it affect us? Climate change social and environmental determinants of health – clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food and secure shelter. Between 2030 and 2050, 250 000 additional deaths per year , expected from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress. The direct damage costs to health is estimated to be between US$ 2-4 billion/year by 2030 . Areas with weak health infrastructure – mostly in developing countries – will be least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond . 8

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10. Climate Change and Health: 10

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12. Direct Effects Extreme Heat : I ncrease in mean summer and winter tem peratures . Extreme heat events can trigger a variety of heat stress conditions, such as heat stroke . Deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory disease, particularly among elderly people. [ 38 000 deaths per year expected due to heat exposure in elderly people between 2030 and 2050] Higher temperatures and respiratory problems due to build-up of harmful air pollutants . 12

13. Raise the levels of ozone and other pollutants in the air that exacerbate diseases. Pollen and other aeroallergen levels are also higher - Can trigger asthma, which affects around 300 million people . Smoke hazards, forest fire . 13

14. Natural disasters: The effects of weather disasters (droughts, floods, storms and bushfires) on health. - “A tripling in the number of natural catastrophes in the last ten years , compared to the 1960s”. - reinsurance company Munich Re - This reflects global trends in population vulnerability more than an increased frequency of extreme climatic events. - Developing countries are poorly equipped to deal with weather extremes, Hence, the number of people killed, injured or made homeless by natural disasters has been increasing rapidly. 14

15. Indirect Effects Food availability; Affected due to Impairment of food-producing ecosystems. Agriculture quality of the lands get affected.. Reduction in yield: A slight downturn globally of around 2–4% in cereal grain yields . May lead to food insecurity . “For an initial phase of modest global warming, average impacts on agriculture are ambiguous and may be benign globally on average, but it would be a serious mistake to infer from such a diagnosis that little should be done to curb climate change.” [Global Warming and Agriculture: Impact Estimates by Country; 9/12/07, William Cline] 95000 deaths per year expected between 2030 and 2050. due to childhood under nutrition. Impact on livestock and fisheries still to be better understood. 15

16. Air quality: - The modified weather patterns, have influenced air pollutants such as ground-level ozone (O 3 ) and fine particulate matter.   -Increasing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) levels also promote the growth of plants that release airborne allergens (aeroallergens).** Water quality & availability: By the late 21st century, increase in the frequency and intensity of drought at regional and global scale. Floods & extreme precipitation are also increasing in frequency and intensity. Freshwater aquifers in all continents are being depleted . Water-related political and public health crises Climate change strongly affect water-borne diseases . 16

17. Vector Borne diseases: - Change in the transmission, behavior, geographical distribution & the incidence of vector-borne diseases which is the major causes of mortality and morbidity in most tropical countries. - Lengthen the transmission seasons of important vector-borne diseases - alter their geographic range. - Diseases transmitted through insects, snails or other cold blooded animals also alters. - Changes in the life-cycle dynamics of the vector species and the pathogenic organisms leading to increase in the potential transmission . 17

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20. Malaria: Climate change will allow malaria to spread into new areas.   Climate change is expected to cause additional 60,000 deaths per year due to malaria. Dengue - The effect of future climate change on the rates of dengue transmission is complex. - Rates of dengue transmission may actually increase in regions that are projected to become more prone to drought , because the  Aedes  mosquitoes which carry dengue breeds in containers used for household water storage. 20

21. Biodiversity loss: Increasingly rapid extinction of populations and species Disruption of ecosystems Stratospheric ozone depletion Depletion of stratospheric ozone . Will be greater numbers of skin cancers. 21

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23. Climate Change: WHO IS AT RISK?? A lack of safe water can increase the risk of diarrheal disease, which kills over 500 000 children aged under 5 years , every year. 1.8 million deaths from diarrhea resulting from lack of access to clean water supply, sanitation, and poor hygiene. Rising temperatures and variable precipitation malnutrition which currently cause 3.1 million deaths every year . About 800 000 people die from urban air pollution . Malaria kills over 400 000 people every year – mainly African children under 5 years old. World 23

24.   Climate change ; lead to increased migration Climate change is expected to cause approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year between 2030 and 2050. 90% of the burden of malaria and diarrhea, and almost all of the burden of diseases associated with under nutrition, are borne by children aged 5 years or less, mostly in developing countries .* CLIMATE-SENSITIVE DISEASES ALREADY PLACE AN ENORMOUS BURDEN ON CHILD HEALTH: 24

25. Arctic ice melting : Is driving extreme weather that affects hundreds of millions of people across North America, Europe and Asia. Australia Wildfires August and November 2013 : Australia has just experienced its hottest 12 months on record. European heat wave, 2003:  Estimates suggest that approximately 70 000 more people died in that summer. Rift Valley fever in Africa:  Major outbreaks are usually associated with rains. 25

26. Hurricane Katrina, 2005:  More than 1 800 people died and thousands more were displaced. Malaria in the East African highlands:  In the last 30 years, warmer temperatures have also created more favorable conditions for mosquito populations Epidemics of cholera in Bangladesh:  They are closely linked to flooding and unsafe water. Russia Drought: 2012 drought – following hard on the severe drought of 2010 – confirmed this trend. During 2012, 22 regions suffered crop losses. 26

27. Pakistan Floods August 2013: Floodwaters inundated up to one fifth of Pakistan and affected an estimated 20 million people.  Philippines Typhoon: Typhoon Haiyan is the strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in history. 11.3 million people are affected and over 700.000 people have been displaced. Fukushima Nuclear Accident (albeit not a  natural  disaster, but a disaster) 27

28. How the nations addressed climate change? Montreal protocol 1987 – on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer  (a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer) is an international treaty  designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion . It was agreed on 16 September 1987, and entered into force on 01 January 1989, followed by a first meeting in Helsinki, May 1989( Helsinki declaration 1989 ) . 28

29. Earth Summit; Rio de Janeiro 3 to 14 June 1992 : [The  United Nations Conference on Environment and Development  ( UNCED )] : - 172 governments participated -The production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline, or poisonous waste including radioactive chemicals. -Alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuels. New reliance on public transportation systems. The growing usage and limited supply of water . 29

30. The  Kyoto Protocol 1997 – UNFCCC - is an international treaty which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits binding targets for 37 industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions , based on the scientific consensus that: Carbon trading measures.. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on December 11, 1997 and entered into force on February 16, 2005. There are currently 192 parties (Canada withdrew effective December 2012) to the Protocol. 30

31. Rio+20 : The  United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development  ( UNCSD )]; Earth Summit 2012  : Rio de Janeiro  13 - 22 June 2012 -The third international conference on sustainable development. - Rio+20 was a 20-year follow-up of 1992 Earth Summit /(UNCED) and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg. Objectives: Securing renewed political commitment for sustainable development Assessing the progress and implementation gaps in meeting previous commitments. Addressing new and emerging challenges. 31

32. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) & Climate Change; Goals to 2030: Goal 3.3- End the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases. Goal 3.9- Substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination . 32

33. Goal 6.1- Achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all . Goal 6.5- Implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through trans-boundary cooperation as appropriate Goal 6.6- Protect and restore water-related ecosystems , including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes 33

34. Goal 7.4- Enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology 34

35. Goal 13.1- Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. Goal 13.2- Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning . Goal 13.3- Improve education, awareness -raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning 35

36. Goal 13.4- Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible. 36

37. Goal 13.5- Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States , including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities 37

38. Goal 15.2- Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally . Goal 15.3- Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil , including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. 38

39. The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) dealing with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation and finance starting in the year 2020 . - 196 parties attended the 21st Conference - As of June 2017, 195 UNFCCC members have signed the agreement, 153 of which have ratified it . - In 2017, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the agreement , causing widespread condemnation through out the world 39

40. IMPACT IN INDIA Extreme Heat : India  is already experiencing a warming climate . - Unusual and unprecedented spells of hot weather are expected . -Under 4°C warming, the west coast and southern India are projected to shift . to new, high-temperature climatic regimes impacts on agriculture. - With built-up urban areas rapidly becoming “heat-islands”, urban planners will need to adopt measures to counteract this effect. 40

41. In May & June 2015 , India was struck by a severe heat wave;  - it has caused the deaths of at least 2,500 people in multiple regions of  South Indian  states of  Andhra Pradesh  ,  Telangana . In April & May 2016 , India experienced a major  heat wave . - A national record high temperature of 51.0 °C (123.8 °F) was set in the town of  Phalodi , in the state of  Rajasthan . - A total of over 160 people have died and 330 million affected. 41

42. Changing Rainfall Patterns - A decline in monsoon rainfall . A 2°C rise in the world’s average temperatures – Major crisis: - triggering more frequent droughts. - flooding in large parts of India. . 42

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44. The  2015 South Indian floods  resulted from heavy rainfall generated by the annual Northeast monsoon  * More than 500 people were killed and over 18  lakh   people were displaced. The  2016 Assam floods  were caused by large rains over the  Indian state of Assam in July 2016 . The flooding had affected 1.8 million people 44

45. Droughts Evidence indicates that parts of South Asia have become drier since the 1970s - fall in crop production. Droughts are expected to be more frequent in some areas -north-western India. . Crop yields are expected to fall significantly because of extreme heat by 2040s. Recently: . In some parts of India, the failure of the monsoons result in water shortages, resulting in below-average crop yields. This is particularly true of major drought-prone regions such as southern and Eastern  India drought — brought on by a delayed and inadequate monsoon — is set to deepen the distress for its cultivators. farmer's suicides in the country 45

46. Groundwater More than 60% of India’s agriculture is rain-fed, making the country highly dependent on groundwater. 85% of drinking water supplies are dependent on groundwater. Urban residents increasingly rely on groundwater   Despite the valuable nature of the resource, 29% of groundwater blocks are semi-critical, critical, or overexploited, and the situation is deteriorating rapidly. (2004 nationwide assessment). . Falling water tables  46

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48. Glacier Melt : Himalayan glaciers have been retreating over the past century. At 2.5°C warming, melting glaciers - expected to threaten the stability and reliability of northern India’s primarily glacier-fed rivers - the Indus and the Brahmaputra.  The Indus and Brahmaputra - to see increased flows in spring when the snows melt - with flows reducing subsequently in late spring and summer. 48

49. Impact:- Crop production will reduce. Major investments in water storage capacity would be needed 49

50. Sea level rise  With India close to the equator we would see much higher rises in sea levels. Sea-level rise and storm surges - saltwater intrusion in the coastal areas -impacting agriculture -degrading groundwater quality -contaminating drinking water 50

51. Agriculture and food security     Rice:  Rising temperatures with lower rainfall at the end of have caused a significant loss in India’s rice production. - Without climate change, average rice yields could have been almost 6% higher .   Wheat:   extremely high temperatures in northern India - have had a substantial negative effect on wheat yields. Any change in monsoon trends drastically affects agriculture. Even the increasing temperature is affecting Indian agriculture. 51

52. Seasonal water scarcity, rising temperatures, and intrusion of sea water - crop yields, jeopardizing the country’s food security. Substantial yield reductions in both rice and wheat can be expected . Under 2°C warming by the 2050s, - import more than twice the amount of food-grain than required without climate change. 52

53. Crop diversification more efficient water use improved soil management practices together with the development of drought-resistant crops can help reduce some of the negative impacts . Regional cooperation on water issues will be needed Remedial Measures 53

54. Tamil Nadu farmers during their agitation demanding loan waiver and compensation for crop failure, at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi,( Imran Qureshi May , 02, 2017 14:23:34) article, 54

55. Crop Insurance Crop production depends on the vagaries of weather and prevention of attacks from pests. An All-Risk Comprehensive Crop Insurance Scheme (CCIS) for major crops was introduced in 1985. - introduction of the Seventh-Five-Year Plan. The National Agricultural Insurance Scheme ; also known as the Rashtriya Krishi Bima . 55

56. Health Major health impacts in India- - Increasing malnutrition -Related health disorders - child stunting -With the poor likely to be affected most severely. Malaria and other vector-borne diseases and diarrheal infections which are a major cause of child mortality, in India. Heat waves - very substantial rise in mortality and death - increase in injuries from extreme weather events 56

57. Health systems will need to be strengthened in identified hotspots. Improvements in hydro-meteorological systems for weather forecasting and the installation of flood warning systems can help people move out of harm’s way before a weather-related disaster strikes. Building codes will need to be strictly enforced and urban planning will need to prepare for climate-related disasters . Coastal embankments will need to be built where necessary and Coastal Regulation Zone codes enforced strictly Recommendal Measures 57

58. IMPACT IN KERALA There was an increasing trend in post monsoon rainfall- likely shifts in rainfall patterns. Rise in maximum and minimum temperatures was also noticed since last 49 years over Kerala. The day maxima increase was 0.64° C while the night minimum 0.23°C.  Kerala, one of the most abundant rainfall-receiving states of the country, is likely to witness an increase in temperature by 2-3 degrees Celsius by the end of this century due to climate change, according to a recent study. Increase in mean annual surface air temperature over Kerala was 0.44°C. ( IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOOD AND PLANTATION CROPS IN THE HUMID TROPICS OF INDIAG.S.L.H.V. Prasada Rao , A.V.R. Kesava Rao , K.N. Krishnakumar and C.S.Gopakumar ) 58

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61. All 14 districts of Kerala have been declared drought affected in the year 2016 Reported by THE HINDU news paper,in october 31 st october,2016 61

62. Deficient rainfall Kerala is reeled in year of 2016, under the worst-ever drought in 115 years. It began with a deficient southwest monsoon during the four months from 2016 June 1 to September 30. All the 14 districts received below average rain – the deficit ranged from 24% in Ernakulam district to 59% in Wayanad district. A rainfall deficit of 67%. Total of 185 mm rainfall, which is about 33% of the normal rainfall(480.7 mm). 62

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64. The impact of deforestation The local level is where deforestation has the most immediate effect. With forest loss, the local community loses the system that performed valuable but often under-appreciated services like ensuring the regular flow of clean water and protecting the community from flood and drought.  Given Kerala’s downward-sloping topography, all the rainwater drains into the sea within 48 hours of the downpour. Over the years, the state has been extensively deforested to create space for more paddy cultivation. This has reduced the land’s capacity to stem the overflow of rainwater 64

65. The death of rivers Bharathapuzha , also known as Nila , is the lifeline of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu , Palakkad , Thrissur and Malappuram districts in Kerala. Environmentalists have been raising concerns over the slow death of the river for quite some time. The sinking of borewells on the river bed is likely to exacerbate the problem. The state government has begun a crackdown on such borewells . A condition of anonymity that encroachments on the river bed are illegal since it is the property of the state government. 65

66. WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? Putting health at the heart of climate change agenda. Strengthening public health systems. Choosing healthy paths to a low-carbon future. Mobilizing the strength of the health community. Collaborative health care. Responsive health care. [- WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Protecting health from climate change: connecting science, policy and people. © World Health Organization 2009] 66

67. Public education, including in health-care settings such as clinics, hospitals. Preventive programme : E.g. vaccines, mosquito control, food hygiene and inspection, and nutritional supplementation. Provision of health care (especially mental health promotion and primary care) for communities affected by environmental adversity. Surveillance of disease, especially infectious disease and environmental, social and biological risk factors for those diseases. Health sector workforce training (primary and incarer ) to attune to climate-related health risks 67

68. Education and mass media campaigns strong enough to spark commitment and action among governments, international organizations, donors etc. Forecasting future health risks from projected climate change. Creation of awareness and public understanding of the global and locally relevant health consequences of climate change. Advocacy for interdisciplinary and intersectoral partnerships from the local to international level. 68

69. Improved water catchments in water-deprived regions. Disaster preparedness across sectors. Enhanced urban planning: green space, green city. Penalties for violations of laws regarding environment protection must be imposed according to income status of the person/industry/company. 69

70. Conclusion  climate change is very likely to result in major environmental changes that will leads to major and growing challenges to the world as a whole. Some of the climate-related changes in the environment that are most likely to occur are expected to have major impacts. Due to the complexity of the Earth system, it is possible that climate change will evolve differently than the gradually changing scenarios. Although, such changes could cause major impacts,  thus deserves and requires urgent attention by decision makers and the public worldwide. 70

71.   It was first established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the  World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the  United Nations Environment Programme  (UNEP), and later endorsed by the  United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 43/53 71

72. References 1. IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FOOD AND PLANTATION CROPS IN THE HUMID TROPICS OF INDIA G.S.L.H.V. Prasada Rao , A.V.R. Kesava Rao , K.N. Krishnakumar and C.S. Gopakumar 2. Climate Change 2007: Working Group II: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability ,glossary ) 3. ( IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007 4.Effect of climate change on human health and some adaptive strategies a review,N woke etal 5.Who 2003-Climake change and human health risks and responses.A.J.Michel etal 6.Climate change and health check 2020.Horton G etal 7.Climate change and infectious diseases-J.A Patz 8.Climate variability and change in US,Rose JB etal 9.Ecology and Infectious disease.Wilson M.L 10. (1)   IPCC, 2014: Summary for Policymakers. In: Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change . 11. Protecting health from climate change: connecting science, policy and people. 1.Climate – trends. 2.Environmental health. 3.Carbon dioxide. 4.Greenhouse effect. 5.Disaster planning. 6.Risk assessment. 7.Vulnerable populations. 8.World health - trends. I.World Health Organization. 12. https://health2016.globalchange.gov/air-quality-impacts 72

73. Thank You….. 73