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15.2.6. Climate Change Impacts and Implications Regional Health
Health impacts on the community are anticipated to be felt as a direct result of the physical effects of
climate change upon the region, specifically increases in extreme events, increases in temperature,
decreases in rainfall and increases in sea-level.
According to Traub, Bradt and Joseph (2007)41, the health effects of extreme climate related events may
include:
x
Fatalities and injuries.
x
Diseases from water contamination and other effects related to the quantity and quality of water.
x
Vector-borne diseases.
x
Food-borne diseases.
x
Dietary changes due to cost and availability of food.
x
Effects of poor air quality.
x
Possible impact of chemical exposures (resulting from spills from damaged pipes, industrial
storage, etc).
x
Impact of changes to infrastructure and essential services.
x
Lapsed chronic disease management.
x
Psychological stresses of dislocation and the experiencing of the extreme event.
x
Reduction in sense of community.
x
Stress from loss of income and assets.
Over the longer term, the physical effects of climate change including higher temperature, changes in sea
level, changing precipitation patterns can lead to further impacts on the community, as reported by
Horton
and McMichael (2008). These impacts include:
x
Increases in malnutrition and consequent disorders, the result of impacts on food production
(with implications for child growth and development),
x
Increased deaths and injury resulting from heatwaves, fires and droughts,
x
Increased risk of water-borne infectious diseases from poor water quality,
x
Increased rates of cardiorespiratory diseases from higher concentrations of ground-level ozone.
x
Increased risk of vector-borne diseases caused by altered spatial distribution of some infectious
diseases.
x
Increase in food-borne infectious diseases, through exposure to higher temperatures,
x
Increases in asthma and allergic diseases from increased production of aero-allergens (spores,
pollens) in some areas.
x
Mental health problems and emotional stresses associated with social, economic and
demographic dislocations (particularly with children)
x
Populations exposed to climate-related extreme weather events or disasters experience social,
physical and material conditions that adversely affect mental health. Post-traumatic stress
disorder, depression and anxiety may all result. Because of increasing numbers of extreme
weather events, the impact of natural disasters on mental health is a growing concern.
41
Published by the Australian Medical Association (2008)
