Climate Change's Impact on Health
Droughts can cripple farming and food production, which leads to poverty, malnutrition, and starvation. As a result, we are seeing more environmental refugees. This, in turn, increases armed conflict and political instability, both of which are disastrous for human health. Areas that are expected to see worsening droughts are southern Africa, southern Asia, the Middle East, and the American Southwest. More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases acidity in ocean waters, which is damaging to marine life and affects fresh water fisheries as well.
As our climate changes, the patterns and territories of infectious diseases can be dramatically altered, straining the ability of healthcare systems and governments to contain them. Diseases affected by climate change include those carried by animals and insects — for example, tularemia, plague, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, West Nile virus, and Lyme disease. Others include Zika and dengue. Waterborne infections (for example cholera and other gastrointestinal infections) may become more common. Truly clean water may be harder to come by.
