GEO217 – Climate Change

and Sustainability

Mohamed Mahmoud, PhD

Email: [email protected]

gu.edu.eg
The impact of climate change on health
o Climate change affects health in a myriad of
ways, leading to death and illness from
increasingly frequent extreme weather events
(e.g., heatwaves, storms, floods, and disruption
of food systems).

o Climate change affects health and well-being in

many ways:

- Direct impact: by the increased intensity

and frequency of extreme weather events
(such as heatwaves, floods, and bushfires)

- Indirect impact: through worsening air

quality, changes in the spread of infectious
diseases, threats to food and water, and
effects on mental health.
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 The impact of climate change on health
Temperature extremes: more heat-related deaths and medical visits for cardiovascular, kidney, and
respiratory disorders.

Floods: increased drowning deaths and higher exposures to mold and waterborne diseases.

Wildfires: poor air quality increases respiratory and cardiovascular issues (such as asthma).

Air Pollution: exposure to particulate matter and ozone increases hospitalizations and deaths for
respiratory diseases like asthma

Allergens and Pollen: longer growing seasons mean more pollen and increased allergy rates.

Disease carried by vectors: disease-carrying organisms like mosquitoes can move into new areas.

Mental health and stress-related disorders: higher rates of poor mental health following climate-related
disaster events like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires.

Food and waterborne diarrheal diseases: higher rates of foodborne and waterborne illnesses due to higher
temperatures and extreme rainfall events.
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 How does climate change affect physical and mental health?
1. Physical health
• Extreme climate events have a negative impact on our physical health. Worldwide, more
than 5 million deaths each year are linked to abnormally hot and cold temperatures.

• Air pollution produced by wildfires is associated with respiratory and cardiovascular

illness. In 2019, fine particulate matter in the atmosphere resulted in at least 1.8 million
deaths globally.

• Extremely hot weather and heat waves can lead to heat stroke and exhaustion and worsen
chronic health conditions. As temperatures rise, research shows that approximately 5,600
heat-related deaths occurred each year from 1997–2006.

• Floods cause injuries and drownings, and spread waterborne disease. In 2016, floods —
excluding the landslides often caused by them — affected more than 74 million people
globally.

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2. Mental health
• Each year since 2008, an average of more than 20 million people worldwide are forced to
move because of weather-related events. The impacts on mental health caused by such
trauma and loss are harder to quantify than the effects on physical health.

• Flooding and prolonged droughts, for example, have been associated with elevated levels
of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

• Extreme heat can fuel mood and anxiety disorders and lead to suicide, interpersonal
violence, and aggression.

• Alterations to the natural environment can cause grief, emotional pain, and disorientation;
they can also lead to poor work performance, lower self-esteem, and harm interpersonal
relationships.

• Geographic displacement, which could be brought about by climate change, can produce
distress, anxiety, and depression — and can even weaken social cohesion.

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 Examples of Climate Impacts on Human Health
Changing mosquito-borne disease
dynamics

Rising temperatures, changing

precipitation patterns, and a higher
frequency of some extreme weather events
associated with climate change will
influence the distribution, abundance, and
prevalence of infection in the mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus
and other pathogens by altering habitat availability and mosquito and
viral reproduction rates. Alterations in the distribution, abundance, and
infection rate of mosquitoes will influence human exposure to bites from
infected mosquitoes, which is expected to alter the risk for human disease.

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Climate impacts on water-related
illnesses

• Waterborne diseases (such as cholera,

typhoid, and E. coli infections) are still a
leading cause of human morbidity and
mortality worldwide, causing 3.4 million
deaths annually.

• As climate change increasingly impacts global

temperatures and weather events, the risk of
these infectious diseases will increase.

• Waterborne diseases are caused by drinking

or coming into contact with contaminated
water. This contamination could be caused
by pollutants, like agricultural chemicals, or
faeces from an infected person or animal. 6
Climate impacts on food-related illnesses
• In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are 48 million cases of
foodborne illnesses per year, with ~ 3,000 deaths.

• As climate change drives changes in environmental variables,

such as ambient temperature, precipitation, and weather extremes
(particularly flooding and drought), increases in foodborne
illnesses are expected.

• Most acute illnesses are caused by foodborne viruses (specifically

noroviruses), followed by bacterial pathogens (such as
Salmonella). Of the common foodborne illnesses, most deaths are
caused by Salmonella, followed by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

• In addition, climate change impacts on the transport of chemical contaminants or the accumulation of
pesticides or heavy metals (such as mercury) in food, which can also represent significant health
threats in the food chain.
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 Climate change and your health

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZiiIPEqSiM&t=31s
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 What are the impacts of climate change on economy?
o Not only is it a serious threat to the planet
and people, climate change is also
threatening the global economy.

o This problem needs public-private sector

collaboration to change the way we
produce goods to other methods that
guarantee and drive the development of
sustainable economic growth.

o As well as its serious impact on the

environment and people, climate change is
one of the biggest threats to economic
stability. 9
 Impacts of climate change on the economy - Businesses and the
financial market
o Climate change and its impacts across the globe will threaten businesses in different ways. The
frequency and intensity of extreme weather can damage factories, supply chain operations, and other
infrastructure, and disrupt transport.

o Drought will make water more expensive, which will likely affect the cost of raw materials and
production.

o Climate volatility may force companies to deal with uncertainty in the price of resources for
production, energy transport, and insurance. And some products could become obsolete or lose their
market, such as equipment related to coal mining or skiing in an area that no longer has snow.

o “The movement away from fossil fuels will have a big impact which could affect banks and
investment firms that have relationships with the fossil fuel industry,” said Heal. “For example,
the stock market value of the U.S. coal industry in 2011 was something like $37 billion. Today it’s
about $2 billion. So anybody who lent a lot of money to the coal industry 10 years back would be in
trouble. One of the things worrying those in the financial field is that this could happen to the oil and
gas industry. So people who have invested in them or lent money to them are potentially at risk.”
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oHeatwaves make us less able to work and
reduce productivity.

oTropical storms (such as cyclones) devastate

millions of people, leaving them in absolute
poverty after ruthlessly sweeping away their
communities.

o Droughts shrink harvests, further complicating the task of feeding the global
population, which is expected to reach 10 billion by 2050 (World Population
Prospects 2019, United Nations Organization).

o The World Bank is warning: if we don't do something immediately, climate

change could push 100 million more people into poverty by 2030.
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 The impacts of climate change on Tourism
o As temperatures rise, the attractiveness of many destinations will fade. Winter
sports will become less viable in some locations.

o Coastal tourism is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels.

o Two billion dollars could be lost in winter recreation due to less snow and ice. For
example, rapid warming in the Adirondack Mountains could decimate the winter
activity sector, which makes up 30 percent of the local economy.

o In addition, as water temperatures increase, water quality could suffer due to more
frequent and more intense algae blooms, which can be toxic, thus curtailing
recreational water activities and freshwater fishing.

o More frequent and severe wildfires will worsen air quality and discourage tourism.
Sea level rise could submerge small islands and coastal areas, while deforestation
and its destructive impacts on biodiversity could make some tourist destinations
less attractive. 12
Implications of climate change on society and vulnerable communities

• Accelerating climate impacts are having devastating effects

on local communities across the world. These range from the
destruction of homes, education and healthcare facilities, and
other critical infrastructure to the loss of livelihood and
increased food and water insecurity. In some regions, climate-
induced disasters are resulting in large-scale humanitarian
crises and displacement.

• With the increasing impacts of climate change, the intensity

and frequency of related disasters increase, leading to
impacts on lives and livelihoods.

• In this context, the IFRCs World Disaster Report 2020 stated

that 83% of all disasters are caused by climate change and
weather-related events rising by almost 35% over the last
three decades and impacting over 1.7 billion people around
the world.
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Thank You
gu.edu.eg

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