Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe ... - MemoFin.fr

Climate impacts on socio-economic systems and health4.4 Human health4.4.1 OverviewRelevanceClimate change is already contributing to the globalburden of disease and premature deaths. Nearlyall environmental and social impacts of climatechange may ultimately affect human health throughaltering weather patterns, changes in water andair quality, food quantity and quality, ecosystemsservices, livelihoods, infrastructure and migration(Figure 4.5). Climate change can affect existinghealth risks both positively and negatively, andit may introduce new health risks to previouslyunaffected regions. The potential health benefitsfrom milder winters in some regions are howevernot expected to outweigh the risk of negative healtheffects through direct and indirect, immediateand delayed risks of climate change (McMichaelet al., 2012). Two European research projects ( 56 )estimated substantial health and welfare costsof climate change in Europe (Kovats et al., 2011)(see Section 5.5.2 for further information).Climate change may exacerbate existingenvironmental problems, such as particulateemissions and high ozone concentrations, poseadditional challenges to providing sustainablewater and sanitation services, and increase a risk ofwater- and food-borne diseases, as well as affect thedistribution of infectious diseases and their vectors(Confalonieri et al., 2007). Nearly half of over50 infectious diseases that the EU Member Statesare currently required to report can be directlyor indirectly affected by climate change; otherclimate‐sensitive diseases, including Chikungunyafever, Lyme borreliosis, tick‐borne encephalitis,and visceral leishmaniasis are consideredemerging infectious diseases due to climate change(Lindgren et al., 2012).All people are affected by climate change, but thehealth effects depend largely on their vulnerability(e.g. age, pre-existing diseases) and their ability toadapt, linked to ecological, social, economic andcultural factors, including education and access tohealthcare among others (EEA, 2010a). Vulnerablepopulation groups include the elderly and children,the urban poor, traditional societies, subsistencefarmers, and coastal populations (WHO, 2011a).The populations in some European regions, suchas the Arctic or the Mediterranean, are particularlyvulnerable. The Mediterranean is especially proneto an intensification of heat waves and droughts(Diffenbaugh et al., 2007), which can put pressureon existing ecosystems and life support systems,such as water, food and energy supply. In theArctic, changes in temperature and precipitation(see Section 2.2), melting of permafrost anddecreasing sea ice (see Section 2.3), coastal erosion(see Section 3.2), landscape transformation andbiodiversity change (see Section 3.4) can affectthe lifestyle and culture of the indigenous people.Climate change is also expected to influence theexposure to some contaminants (mercury, radionuclides and persistent organic pollutants) andto affect dietary habits. All these changes haveimplications for human health (Curtis et al., 2005;Confalonieri et al., 2007; Kallenborn et al., 2011).Key messages: 4.4 Human health• Climate change is already contributing to the burden of disease and premature deaths in Europe.Its main health effects are related to extreme weather events, changes in the distribution ofclimate‐sensitive diseases, and changes in environmental and social conditions.• Quantitative projections of future climate-sensitive health risks are difficult due to the complexrelationship between climatic and non‐climatic factors, climate-sensitive disease and other healthoutcomes.• Adverse impacts of future climate change are projected to outweigh beneficial impacts on the globalscale. The health costs are also estimated to be substantial in Europe.( 56 ) ClimateCost — the Full Costs of Climate Change — FP 7 project (http://www.climatecost.cc); PESETA — Projection of Economicimpacts of climate change in Sectors of the European Union based on boTtom-up Analysis (http://peseta.jrc.ec.europa.eu).Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2012183