Public Health Effects of Climate Change
Direct Effects
Climate change has the potential to impact health in many ways and its effects vary by geographic location and population.
| Health Event | Health Effects | Populations Most Affected |
| Heat waves | Heat stress | Extremes of age, athletes, people with respiratory disease. Individuals who work in hot and humid environments on a daily or seasonal basis (Rogers, et al., 2007). |
| Extreme weather events,(rain, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding) | Injuries, drowning | Coastal, low-lying land dwellers, low SES |
| Droughts, floods, increased mean temperature | Vector-, food- and water-borne diseases | Multiple populations at risk |
| Sea-level rise | Injuries, drowning, water and soil salinization, ecosystem and economic disruption | Coastal, low SES |
| Drought, ecosystem migration | Food and water shortages, malnutrition | Low SES, elderly, children |
| Extreme weather events, drought | Mass population movement, international conflict | General population |
| Increases in ground-level ozone, airborne allergens, and other pollutants | Respiratory disease exacerbations (COPD, asthma, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis) | Elderly, children, those with respiratory disease |
| Climate change generally; extreme events | Mental health | Young, displaced, agricultural sector, low SES |
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Climate change may have indirect public health effects, such as anxiety and depression (Frumkin, et al., 2008), due to “social upheaval” caused by:
- Environmental refugees fleeing from rising sea levels
- Disruption of health care infrastructure
- Conflicts over resources such as food and water (Schwartz, Parker, Glass, & Hu, 2006).
