The climate crisis is a health crisis.
From Background document for COP27-PMNCH:
It is the single
biggest health threat facing humanity and disproportionally affects women,
children and adolescents (WCA). Climate change has reversed progress in global
health over the past five decades and exacerbated inequalities. Individuals and
communities who are already facing inequities and marginalization due to
gender, ethnicity and low income are highly vulnerable to climate change, as
well as people living in humanitarian and fragile settings prone to drought and
other climate change impacts. These vulnerabilities are caused by historical
patterns of inequity linked to colonialism, poverty, limited access to basic
services and resources, violent conflict, and high levels of climate-sensitive
livelihoods.
The key Facts of Climate Change:
Climate change is directly contributing to humanitarian
emergencies from heatwaves, wildfires, floods, tropical storms and hurricanes
and they are increasing in scale, frequency and intensity, Research shows that
3.6 billion people already live in areas highly susceptible to climate
change. Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause
approximately 250 000 additional deaths per year, from undernutrition,
malaria, diarrhea and heat stress alone.
The direct damage costs to health (excluding costs in
health-determining sectors such as agriculture and water and sanitation) is
estimated to be between US$ 2–4 billion per year by 2030, Areas with
weak health infrastructure – mostly in developing countries – will be the least
able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond and Reducing emissions
of greenhouse gases through better transport, food and energy use choices can
result in very large gains for health, particularly through reduced air
pollution.
Overview
According to World Health Organization (WHO), Climate
change presents a fundamental threat to human health. It affects the physical
environment as well as all aspects of both natural and human systems –
including social and economic conditions and the functioning of health systems.
It is therefore a threat multiplier, undermining and potentially reversing
decades of health progress. As climatic conditions change, more frequent and
intensifying weather and climate events are observed, including storms, extreme
heat, floods, droughts and wildfires. These weather and climate hazards affect
health both directly and indirectly, increasing the risk of deaths,
noncommunicable diseases, the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, and
health emergencies.
Climate change is also having an impact on our health
workforce and infrastructure, reducing capacity to provide universal health
coverage (UHC). More fundamentally, climate shocks and growing stresses such as
changing temperature and precipitation patterns, drought, floods and rising sea
levels degrade the environmental and social determinants of physical and mental
health. All aspects of health are affected by climate change, from clean air,
water and soil to food systems and livelihoods. Further delay in tackling
climate change will increase health risks, undermine decades of improvements in
global health, and contravene our collective commitments to ensure the human
right to health for all.
Climate change impacts on health
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) Sixth
Assessment Report (AR6) concluded that climate risks are appearing faster and
will become more severe sooner than previously expected, and it will be harder
to adapt with increased global heating.
It further reveals that 3.6 billion people already live
in areas highly susceptible to climate change. Despite contributing minimally
to global emissions, low-income countries and small island developing states
(SIDS) endure the harshest health impacts. In vulnerable regions, the death
rate from extreme weather events in the last decade was 15 times higher than in
less vulnerable ones.
Climate change is impacting health in a myriad of ways,
including by leading to death and illness from increasingly frequent extreme
weather events, such as heatwaves, storms and floods, the disruption of food
systems, increases in zoonoses and food-, water- and vector-borne diseases, and
mental health issues. Furthermore, climate change is undermining many of the
social determinants for good health, such as livelihoods, equality and access
to health care and social support structures. These climate-sensitive health
risks are disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged,
including women, children, ethnic minorities, poor communities, migrants or
displaced persons, older populations, and those with underlying health
conditions.
Climate change is not gender neutral; it is already
exacerbating the vulnerability of women and girls across the world.
Climate change disproportionally affects women and girls due
to systemic gender inequalities, Women’s and girls’ lower socio-economic status
diminishes their ability to cope with climate change, Women represent 70% of
the world’s poor and are highly dependent on natural resources for their
livelihoods.
80% of people displaced by climate change are women, Women
and girls are more likely to be killed during climate-induced natural disasters
than men as they are often excluded from learning survival skills, such as
swimming and climbing. For example, in the 2004 Asian Tsunami, women and girls
represented nearly 80% of deaths.
(Plan International, 2016)
The recent catastrophic floods in Pakistan have affected at
least 650,000 pregnant women and girls, with the majority lacking access to
healthcare facilities and unable to give birth at home, with almost one million
homes destroyed. (UNFPA, 2022), Burning of local biomass for
household energy production has a disproportionate impact on women who perform
household work and are more likely to suffer from indoor air pollution, leading
to respiratory and cardiovascular health impacts. (UNFPA, 2021) During
periods of drought or flooding leading to severe food insecurity, women are
found to be more likely to be stunted or skipping meals to adapt to the climate
shock. In addition, women and girls, often responsible for collecting water and
food, must travel longer distances forcing them to skip school and having a
higher chance to be exposed to physical and sexual violence. (GCHA, 2016;
Sorensen, 2018) Pressure on families due to climate-induced poverty also
increases the chances of girl child marriage to secure resources.
At COP27, countries should prioritize women’s, children’s
and adolescents’ health and well-being by integrating gender-sensitive and
youth-targeted interventions in climate responses, no matter how much countries
reduce their emissions, and even if we reach the target of 1.5°C, the consequences
of climate change on the health and well-being of the most vulnerable,
especially women and the youngest generations will be profound. Adaptation
policies must therefore be developed to build their resilience.
At COP27, it is critical that governments and other
stakeholders prioritize the needs of women, children, and adolescents by
committing to, recognize women, children and young people as rights holders and
prioritize their needs in climate policies, including NDCs and NAPs; Increase
investments in climate change and other sectors that address the social and environmental
determinants of health and reduce WCA’s vulnerability to climate-related health
risks.
This includes developing gender- and youth-sensitive
commitments and investments in multiple sectors such as education, health,
water, sanitation, food security and nutrition, energy, social protection,
disaster risk reduction and information systems, adopt intersectional
approaches that recognize multiple forms of discrimination to WCA, including in
relation to gender and sexuality, to ensure just adaptations and resilient communities.
Conduct vulnerability and adaptation assessments at the
population level, specifically for women, newborns, children and adolescents, Define
targets to building climate resilient health systems and infrastructure,
including integrated monitoring systems with targeted public health messaging, Ensure
universal access to primary healthcare and strengthen mental health support for
WCA; Recognize, support and meaningfully engage WCA and health professionals,
who are key actors in the climate movement, including in monitoring, reviewing
the progress and deciding on appropriate remedy and action with regards to
their own well-being and the well-being of their communities.
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