Climate Change and Human Health: Impacts and Vulnerability
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Climate change is a global health emergency, with its impacts being profoundly felt across various regions of Pakistan. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events pose significant threats to public health, agriculture, and water resources. Understanding these impacts is crucial for developing targeted interventions to mitigate health risks associated with climate change.
Objective: This study aims to assess the effects of climate change on health outcomes in Pakistan, focusing on temperature variations, precipitation changes, agricultural impacts, vector-borne diseases, and socio-economic vulnerabilities.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in four regions of Pakistan (Punjab, Sindh, KPK, and Balochistan) from January 2022 to January 2023. A sample size of 3000 participants was selected through systematic random sampling. Meteorological data was collected from local weather stations, and health data was gathered through structured surveys, interviews, and medical examinations. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data, employing SPSS version 25 for statistical analysis. GIS mapping visualized the spatial patterns of climate change impacts.
Results: The study found significant regional variations in climate change impacts. Temperature increases were most pronounced in Sindh (1.8°C), leading to heightened risks of heat-related ailments. Precipitation changes showed decreased rainfall in Punjab, causing water scarcity and an increase in waterborne diseases. Agricultural impacts revealed a 10% crop yield reduction in Punjab, resulting in increased malnutrition rates. Vector-borne diseases saw a noticeable rise in Sindh due to habitat expansion of disease vectors. Socio-economic vulnerability analysis indicated high vulnerability in urban areas of Sindh, with limited adaptive capacities.
Conclusion: Climate change significantly affects health outcomes in Pakistan, with regional disparities necessitating targeted interventions. The study underscores the importance of incorporating climate change considerations into public health planning and policy-making to enhance resilience and adaptive capacities across vulnerable regions.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Sweileh WM. Bibliometric analysis of peer-reviewed literature on climate change and human health with an emphasis on infectious diseases. Globalization and health. 2020 Dec;16(1):1-7.
Ebi KL, Vanos J, Baldwin JW, Bell JE, Hondula DM, Errett NA, Hayes K, Reid CE, Saha S, Spector J, Berry P. Extreme weather and climate change: population health and health system implications. Annual review of public health. 2021 Apr 1;42(1):293-315.
Knowlton K, Sorensen C, Lemery J, editors. Global climate change and human health: from science to practice. John Wiley & Sons; 2021 May 4.
Xu R, Yu P, Abramson MJ, Johnston FH, Samet JM, Bell ML, Haines A, Ebi KL, Li S, Guo Y. Wildfires, global climate change, and human health. New England Journal of Medicine. 2020 Nov 26;383(22):2173-81.
Romanello M, Di Napoli C, Drummond P, Green C, Kennard H, Lampard P, Scamman D, Arnell N, Ayeb-Karlsson S, Ford LB, Belesova K. The 2022 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: health at the mercy of fossil fuels. The Lancet. 2022 Nov 5;400(10363):1619-54.
Manisalidis I, Stavropoulou E, Stavropoulos A, Bezirtzoglou E. Environmental and health impacts of air pollution: a review. Frontiers in public health. 2020 Feb 20;8:14.
Charlson F, Ali S, Benmarhnia T, Pearl M, Massazza A, Augustinavicius J, Scott JG. Climate change and mental health: a scoping review. International journal of environmental research and public health. 2021 Apr 23;18(9):4486.
Santamouris M. Recent progress on urban overheating and heat island research. Integrated assessment of the energy, environmental, vulnerability and health impact. Synergies with the global climate change. Energy and Buildings. 2020 Jan 15;207:109482.
Romanello M, McGushin A, Di Napoli C, Drummond P, Hughes N, Jamart L, Kennard H, Lampard P, Rodriguez BS, Arnell N, Ayeb-Karlsson S. The 2021 report of the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change: code red for a healthy future. The Lancet. 2021 Oct 30;398(10311):1619-62. (Note: This entry is duplicated and listed once.)
Schmeller DS, Courchamp F, Killeen G. Biodiversity loss, emerging pathogens and human health risks. Biodiversity and conservation. 2020 Oct;29:3095-102.
Venter ZS, Krog NH, Barton DN. Linking green infrastructure to urban heat and human health risk mitigation in Oslo, Norway. Science of the Total Environment. 2020 Mar 20;709:136193.
Majeed R, Khan MA, Fatima SU, Mahmood N, Sulman N, Shaukat SS. Public health status and socioeconomic conditions in climate change-affected northern areas of Pakistan. International Journal of Biology and Biotechnology. 2020;17(2):307-17.
Fahad S, Wang J. Climate change, vulnerability, and its impacts in rural Pakistan: a review. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2020 Jan;27:1334-8.
Shah AA, Ye J, Shaw R, Ullah R, Ali M. Factors affecting flood-induced household vulnerability and health risks in Pakistan: The case of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 2020 Jan 1;42:101341.
Hussain M, Butt AR, Uzma F, Ahmed R, Irshad S, Rehman A, Yousaf B. A comprehensive review of climate change impacts, adaptation, and mitigation on environmental and natural calamities in Pakistan. Environmental monitoring and assessment. 2020 Jan;192:1-20.
Zakar MZ, Zakar DR, Fischer F. Climate change-induced water scarcity: a threat to human health. South Asian Studies. 2020 Aug 9;27(2).
Fida M, Li P, Wang Y, Alam SK, Nsabimana A. Water contamination and human health risks in Pakistan: a review. Exposure and Health. 2023 Sep;15(3):619-39.
Ahmad MI, Ma H. Climate change and livelihood vulnerability in mixed crop–livestock areas: the case of province Punjab, Pakistan. Sustainability. 2020 Jan 13;12(2):586.
Dong Y, Jiang Z, Hu Y, Jiang Y, Tong L, Yu Y, et al. Pathogen contamination of groundwater systems and health risks. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology. 2024;54(4):267-89.
Clark-Ginsberg A, Sprague Martinez L, Scaramutti C, Rodríguez J, Salas-Wright CP, Schwartz SJ. Social vulnerability shapes the experiences of climate migrants displaced by Hurricane Maria. Climate and Development. 2024;16(1):25-35.