The impact of climate change on human health
Leder
Whether it’s impacts from deteriorating air quality, the spread of disease from rising temperatures and humidity, down to the psychological impacts of losing homes and forced migration, climate change is proving to be not just an environmental crisis, but a human health problem, too.
And, with the increasing frequency of heatwaves, flooding, droughts, and severe weather events, the need to address the impact on humans is also increasing.
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Rising temperatures and air pollution are, for instance, detrimental to our lungs, hearts, and brains. Vulnerable groups such as the elderly and infants are particularly affected during heatwaves, which can cause physiological changes in circulation and heart function.
In another example, flooding in southern New South Wales and northern Victoria led to increased mosquito breeding and changes in bird migration patterns, resulting in an outbreak of Japanese encephalitis.
The Indo-Pacific impact
In Makassar, annual flooding displaces thousands, destroys properties, and forces people into temporary shelters. This disrupts education, healthcare access and food supply, with contaminated farming areas exacerbating the situation.
Read more: RISE Indonesia: Revitalising informal settlements in Makassar
Pacific Islanders, too, face drastic health impacts from climate change. Cyclones and rising sea levels affect access to nutritious food by damaging croplands and affecting fish quality and soil. Mental health issues such as PTSD, adjustment disorders and depression are also prevalent due to the stress and cultural changes from displacement.
What’s being done now?
Efforts to mitigate climate change include reducing emissions. One way being explored is to use microbes to remove climate-active gases from the atmosphere, including reducing methane emissions from cattle, which can enhance both sustainability and productivity.
Innovative solutions such as green infrastructure are being designed to address environmental health issues in informal settlements. This involves treating household wastewater before releasing it into the environment, improving health in the Asia-Pacific region.
Communities in the Pacific are building resilience by reviving traditional practices, such as sustainable boatbuilding, setting up coral restoration sites, and restoring mangrove populations.
Read more: Climate and culture lessons from the Pacific Islands
Monash is pioneering a path to a greener, smarter, more equitable and sustainable future, where emissions are lower, and the natural environment and humans thrive. We look forward to participating at COP29, where we aim to accelerate global action on sustainability, empowering diverse voices from across the Indo-Pacific and influencing superior policy outcomes across a broad range of issues. Find out more monash.edu/cop29
About the Authors
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Karin leder
Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Head, Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Unit, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine
Karin is an infectious diseases physician specialising in illnesses common to tropical regions, with specific expertise in gastrointestinal, respiratory, vector-borne and skin infections. Her research also explores imported infections among travellers and immigrants. Her research group focuses on water and human health issues, analysing exposures, risks, and health outcomes associated with contaminated water supplies and alternative water sources (rainwater, greywater, and recycled water).
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Sarah gosper
Unit Coordinator for the Global Immersion Guarantee Program, Monash University
Sarah is an early-career academic with interests in gender & masculinity studies, China studies, marriage and migration. She have extensive experience as a consultative researcher spanning qualitative and quantitative research methods, stakeholder engagement strategy, media engagement and post-research implementation.
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Chris greening
Professor (Research), Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Microbiology
Chris’ research explores how bacteria persist under adverse environmental conditions. He’s interested in understanding the metabolic processes that enable aerobic bacteria to remain energised and survive stress in these dormant states. He is exploring the significance of trace gas scavenging and other hydrogen-dependent processes in relation to microbial community structure and greenhouse gas cycling. His medical research is centred on identifying new drug targets for the treatment of tuberculosis.
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Ansariadi ancha
Senior Researcher, Hasanuddin University, Indonesia; Indonesia Leader and Chief Investigator, RISE; Australia-Indonesia Centre
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