A study of vector-borne disease as an impact of climate change on human health

Abstract

Climate change is one of the most important global environmental challenges of the present century. The IPCC (The intergovernmental panel on climate change) report of 2007 concludes that climate change is projected to increase threat to human health, particularly in lower income countries. It will have implications on food production water supply, air quality, coastal settlements and human health. As two-third of the Indian population depends directly on the climate sensitive sectors like agriculture, fisheries and forests, it is bound to have an adverse impact. The changing climate can affect the basic elements required for maintaining good health: clean air, potable water, adequate food and shelter. Recently, India reported an increase in the incidence of vector–borne diseases, decrease in crop production, more frequent extreme weather events which could be attributed to changing climate. Addressing climate change will need promoting mitigation and adaptation strategies without hampering economic development, good scientific evidence and coordinated action by multiple stakeholders.