This book focuses on the risks that climate change poses for the health sector. It discusses the current vulnerabilities to climate-sensitive diseases, the resultant mortality and morbidity in human populations, the projected risks in connection with increasing global warming, and the options for tackling the adverse impacts of climate change. Adapting to climate change so as to effectively address the risks for and adverse impacts on the health sector requires an in-depth understanding of current deficits in health sector preparedness for climate-sensitive illnesses, as well as future plans and programs for increasing adaptive capacity and building resilience. The book situates climate and health adaptation concerns in the broader context of developing countries, providing insights that can be useful for other countries as well, helping them further their health adaptation efforts. In India, poverty and inadequate access to basic water, health and sanitation services combine with climate-related events to adversely impact health outcomes. Three case studies on the occurrence of heat stress, flooding, and extreme cyclonic events in India are presented along with a critical assessment of the level of preparedness and capacity of healthcare facilities to respond to the threats posed by climate change. The book presents the key challenges faced in reducing the risks posed to the health sector by climatic factors, and highlights the most important opportunities for promoting resilience and adaptation to achieve sustainable development. Dr. Dasgupta’s excellent book reviews the health risks of climate change, outlines an operational framework for health adaptation, and describes the socioeconomic context for adaptation in India. - Kristie L. EbiProfessor, Departments of Global Health, and Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, USA This pioneering work contributes to an the understanding of the preparedness in India to manage health risks from such (climate) change on the basis of detailed data analysis, both from large national surveys and contextualized field based surveys.- Kanchan ChopraFormer Director and Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, India/div

As global climate change proliferates, so too do the health risks associated with the changing world around us. Called for in the President’s Climate Action Plan and put together by experts from eight different Federal agencies, The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health: A Scientific Assessment is a comprehensive report on these evolving health risks, including: Temperature-related death and illness Air quality deterioration Impacts of extreme events on human health Vector-borne diseases Climate impacts on water-related Illness Food safety, nutrition, and distribution Mental health and well-being This report summarizes scientific data in a concise and accessible fashion for the general public, providing executive summaries, key takeaways, and full-color diagrams and charts. Learn what health risks face you and your family as a result of global climate change and start preparing now with The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health.

Climate change poses a serious challenge to our health and wellbeing. The increasing frequency of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and heatwaves, and the direct impacts of changes in temperature have direct impacts on health. At the same time, broader environmental change affects infectious disease risk, air pollution, and other forms of exposure. The different ways in which climate change will affect health are complex, interactive, and different communities are disproportionately affected. International actions such as the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals recognise the future risks to society and acknowledge that we are already committed to a certain level of climate change. Future adaptation measures therefore need careful assessment and implementation for us to be able to minimise the potential risks from climate change and, at the same time, maximise the potential health benefits of a cleaner, greener world. This Special Issue comprises original research articles and detailed reviews on the likely impacts of climate change on health in a range of geographical settings, and the potential for adaptation measures to reduce some of these risks. Ultimately, studies like these will motivate policy level action for mitigation and help in determining the most effective methods of adaptation to reduce negative impacts in future through embedding scientific evidence into practice.

Policy-makers are increasingly concerned about the impact of climate variability and change on the health of vulnerable populations. Variations and trends in climatic factors and extreme weather events impact many health outcomes, including malaria, heat stress and undernutrition. Climate Information for Public Health Action is based on the premise that climate knowledge and information can help protect the public from climate-sensitive health risks. With a focus on infectious disease, hydro-meteorological disasters and nutrition, the book explores why, when and how data on the historical, current and future (from days to decades) climate can be incorporated into health decision-making. Created as a collaborative effort between climate and health experts, this book targets a broad technical public health community, alongside development practitioners and policy-makers engaged in climate change adaptation. It may also guide climate experts in the development of climate services tailored to health needs. Written in an accessible, informative style, while maintaining the highest technical and scientific standards, it will also be a valuable resource for students and academics studying and working in the emerging field of environment and health. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.tandfebooks.com/doi/view/10.4324/9781315115603, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license."

Urban areas are home to over half the world's people and are at the forefront of the climate change issue. The need for a global research effort to establish the current understanding of climate change adaptation and mitigation at the city level is urgent. To meet this goal a coalition of international researchers - the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) - was formed at the time of the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit in New York in 2007. This book is the First UCCRN Assessment Report on Climate Change and Cities. The authors are all international experts from a diverse range of cities with varying socio-economic conditions, from both the developing and developed world. It is invaluable for mayors, city officials and policymakers; urban sustainability officers and urban planners; and researchers, professors and advanced students.

There is now strong evidence that the earth's climate is changing rapidly, due mainly to human activities. Increasing temperatures, sea-level rises, changes in precipitation patterns and extreme events are expected to increase a range of health risks, from the direct effects of heat-waves, floods and storms, to more suitable conditions for the transmission of important infectious diseases, to impacts on the natural systems and socioeconomic sectors that ultimately underpin human health. Much of the potential health impact of climate change can, however, be avoided through a combination of strengthening key health system functions and improved management of the risks presented by a changing climate. The critical first step in this process is to carry out a vulnerability and adaptation assessment. This allows countries to assess which populations are most vulnerable to different kinds of health effects, to identify weaknesses in the systems that should protect them, and to specify interventions to respond. Assessments can also improve evidence and understanding of the linkages between climate and health within the assessment area, serve as a baseline analysis against which changes in disease risk and protective measures can be monitored, provide the opportunity for building capacity, and strengthen the case for investment in health protection. WHO has responded to this global demand by building on past guidance and technical tools to outline a flexible process for vulnerability and adaptation assessment. In 2009, the WHO Regional Office for the Americas and WHO prepared draft guidance for this process, which was pilot-tested in studies across all WHO Regions. In July 2010, representatives of ministries of health from 15 countries came together in Costa Rica with WHO and subject area experts to share their experiences and provide feedback on how to improve the guidance for the conduct of vulnerability assessments. This document is the result of this process. It is intended not as a final, definitive guide but as an important part of an evolving set of resources that will support effective and evidence-based action to protect health from climate change.