Effects of Climate Change on Human Health / CSS 2023/ CSS Essay Past Paper

 Effects of Climate Change on Human Health / CSS 2023/ CSS Essay Past Paper

 Climate Change and Health

1. Introduction

2. Historical Background

3. Current Status

4. Is it true that climate change affects health?

Yes, it is true because;

5. 1st argument

6. 2nd Argument

7. 3rd Argument

8. Causes

9. Impacts

10. Steps Already Taken

11. Recommendations

12. Conclusion

 

Nothing is permanent except change; it is a well-known proverb. The world is changing, and so is its climate. Climate change is simultaneously a cause and effect of change in the world. In the contemporary world, since everything is connected and interrelated, therefore, change in one domain automatically prompts change – either express or implicit - in other domains. This is the case with climate change and its impacts on health. At the global level, the average life expectancy is reducing due to climate change. At the regional level, owing to climate change, Sri Lanka and Myanmar are facing the inherent threat of land erosion resulting in loss of habitat and resources – not only in terms of land but also in terms of land produce – thus giving rise to shelter and food insecurity. At the national level, the recent floods have swept crop production prospects for the current season and a few more to come, leaving the displaced people struggling for food and shelter. Climate change has shown wide-ranging impacts on the quality of life and health. Therefore, there is a dire need to overhaul the existing health care standards and subsequently make them adaptive according to the changing needs due to climate change.

The climate of the earth has been changing since its inception. Although scientists disagree over the tenure of different ages, they maintain consensus over the significant ages of the earth's atmosphere: the stone age, the mean age, etc. Although the earth's climate has been changing for years, the current flux in climate patterns is abnormal. The current change in climate is unprecedented due to its excessive pace and far-reaching implications for human survival.

The impacts of climate change, though disproportionate in intensity, are manifest everywhere. Some countries are only witnessing a few degrees rise in temperature, whereas some of the most vulnerable countries face threats to their survival. The impacts of climate change range from food and shelter insecurity, loss of infrastructure, a surge in lethal diseases, extreme droughts, risks to habitat and wildlife, and changes in demographic patterns to the final apocalypse.

Climate change is a proven health hazard. The effects of climate change on human health are multifarious. Climate change induces a change in climate patterns and causes temperature extremes. The unnatural rise in temperature affects human survival in two significant ways: firstly, it poses a threat of exclusive heat stress to humans; secondly, it prompts droughts resulting in low agricultural yield, thus giving rise to food insecurity and famine. Moreover, the abnormal temperature decrease may result in glaciers' slow melting, resulting in water shortages. For instance, Pakistan faced unprecedented low water levels in its dams and rivers due to the slow melting of glaciers before the recent floods. Water scarcity during the irrigation season badly affects crop yield. In turn, the people face food insecurity.

Besides food insecurity, climate change also indirectly affects human health. The rise in temperatures brings floods and droughts; these natural disasters force people to migrate. Firstly, forced migrations pose not only a challenge to the displaced persons but also to those hosting the former. For instance, a migration flux always ensues in increasing pollution, thus creating an unhygienic environment. Secondly, natural disasters often force displaced people to live in makeshift shelters, thus making them prone to several diseases. For instance, the recent floods - sweeping 2 million homes - have affected 33 million people, thus making them live in makeshift shelters near stagnant flood water. These people are prone to malaria, dengue, diarrhea, tuberculosis, cholera, and other water-borne and sanitation-related diseases.

Moreover, climate change also adversely impacts human development, reducing the prospects for better health facilities. Firstly, natural disasters destroy the infrastructure required for health care facilities. For example, the floods of 2022 have destroyed the health care units in flood-affected areas. Secondly, the economic loss due to climate change impacts reverses the development level of infrastructure and human capital. This further reduces the prospects of better living standards and health care facilities. For example, the recent floods of 2022 have affected the livelihood of almost 33 million people, thus leaving them at the mercy of aid for not only health care facilities but also food. Thirdly, climate-induced food and water shortages cause malnutrition, especially among newborn babies. Due to these adverse effects of climate change on human health, Pakistan's human development index has further reduced by 8 points, thus leaving it to fall at 161st place out of 192 countries.

Various factors contribute to the menace of climate change and its adverse impacts on human health. First among these is the excessive use of fossil fuels. This excessive consumption of fossil fuels causes global warming, bringing natural disasters. Secondly, the rapidly increasing population has also increased the demand for goods and services. This increase in demand requires the production of more services and goods – almost invariably using fossil fuels in the process. Thirdly, the idea of consumerism has also increased the demand for goods and services. More and more carbon footprints are being produced to quench this thirst for goods. All the above activities pollute the environment, thus making it less healthy for living.

There are multifarious impacts of climate change on health. One, global warming has proven to be a threat to habitat, thus endangering the bio-life cycle. Two, it causes heat stress in human beings. Three, it decreases crop yields resulting in malnutrition and famine. Four, it increases the possibilities for natural disasters: floods, droughts, cloud bursts, storms, forest fires, etc. All these disasters are hazardous to human lives. Five, these disasters may also cause such conditions that further pose a threat to human health. Six, climate change may cause mutations in human bodies. These mutations can either appear in the form of lethal diseases, i.e., cancer, or prompt disruptions in genetic materials – the latter having the capacity to affect generations. Seven, climate change also destroys biodiversity, which is essential for a healthy life. Eight, climate change influences human behaviors; people become less tolerant under excessive stress, which further affects human health.

In order to control the adverse impacts of climate change on human health, the government of Pakistan devised a National Health Adaptation Plan (NHAP) with the collaboration of the ministries of climate change and health. This plan, however, is absent at the provincial and local levels.

There are a few recommendations for saving human health from the effects of climate change:

1. The collaboration of climate change and health departments must be extended to the provincial and local levels.
2. The plans for the provision of healthcare facilities must be formed with the collaboration of the climate change department.
3. Efforts to curtail climate change affecting human health must be initiated at global, national, and local levels.
4. Climate-resilient healthcare units must be established throughout the country, especially in disaster-prone areas.

In a nutshell, climate change is a serious issue facing human health. It not only expressly affects human health but also has implicit effects. Expressly, it endangers the habitat, food, and shelter. While implicitly, it can potentially impede the provision of healthcare facilities. Therefore, to prevent the adverse impacts of climate change on human health, a joint effort must be devised with the help of climate change ministries and health.

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Effects of Climate Change on Human Health / CSS 2023/ CSS Essay Past Paper