Climate Change and Human Health

• Monash University acknowledges the Kulin Nations as the traditional custodians of the lands where its Australian campuses are located, paying respect to Elders past and present.

Learning Outcomes

• The goal is to describe the climactic environment and its changes.
• Applying knowledge of climate change to its impact on human health and health promotion is important.
• Critical evaluation of research evidence guides recommendations to lessen health impacts on vulnerable groups.

What is Climate?

• Weather reflects short-term atmospheric variability.
• Climate represents long-term weather patterns over 30+ years, regionally and globally.
• Climate typically changes slowly.

Global Warming

• The average temperature has increased by 1.1 degrees over the last 150 years.
• Australia has experienced increased rainfall and precipitation.
• Sea level rise is increasing at 3.7 mm per year between 2006-18.
• Heatwaves and marine heatwaves are more frequent and intense.
• Cyclones have increased in intensity.
• Compound events, like heatwaves, droughts, fires, and floods, have become more common.
• Biodiversity is declining.
• Changes are affecting every inhabited region.

Causes of Climate Change

• Humans are the primary cause of climate change.
• Stable climate patterns rely on an optimal level of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere.
• Greenhouse gas levels have risen dramatically since the industrial revolution due to fossil fuels and large-scale agriculture.
• Higher greenhouse gas levels are increasing global temperatures and climate instability.
• The impact is so significant that geologists refer to the current epoch as the 'Anthropocene'.

Climate Change Impacts

• Climate change leads to environmental degradation, increasing CO2 levels and causing more extreme weather.
• Health impacts include injuries, fatalities, and mental health issues from severe weather events, heat-related illnesses, and air pollution.
• Climate change can cause forced migration, civil conflict, and mental health impacts because of malnutrition and diarrheal diseases.
• Rising temperatures and extreme heat contribute to heat-related illnesses, cardiovascular failure, and increased levels of air pollution.
• Environmental degradation and increasing CO2 levels also cause asthma and increase risks from vector ecology.
• Shifting weather patterns and more extreme weather events lead to rising allergens and increasing problems, such as impacts on sanitation, water, and food supply.
• Decreased water quality can lead to cholera and harmful algal blooms.

Climate Stability

• Climate stability and health are shaped by living conditions, social networks, individual lifestyle, and individual constitution.

Impacts on Living Conditions Due to Climate Change

• Agriculture and water systems are disrupted.
• Water and Air quality becomes more precarious.
• There is rising heat and flooding, and less housing as a result.
• Education becomes stressful
• There is a natural disaster or disease.
• Outdoor work is affected, economic change and unemployment increase.
• Healthcare responds to extreme events, pandemics, and rising infectious disease.

Impacts on Social and Community Networks Due to Climate Change

• Opportunities for social connection decrease.
• It increases stress and impacts mental health, decreasing social connections.
• There are increased economic pressures and more extreme weather events.

Individual Factors in Climate Change

• Costs will rise for nutritious food, air conditioning and or filtration.
• Individual Factors will be affected through Access to nature, outdoors and green space.
• There are impacts to early environments
• Air, water, and food quality affect maternal and child health, having enduring impacts.

Global Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

• Goal is to stabilizes greenhouse gas emissions to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change commenced in 1994 with 198 countries participating.
• Yearly Council of Parties (COP) meetings.
• COP 27 was in Egypt in 2022.

International Treaties

• A goal is to keep Global temperature increases to no more than 2 degrees, preferably 1.5 degrees

IPCC Report Findings

• Current adaptation efforts are limited to minor modifications, resulting in small, local risk reductions.
• The ambition, scope, and progress in reducing climate risks are increasing but not enough and that long-term risks need transformative changes .

Indigenous Mitigation and Adaptation

• Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by climate change.
• Indigenous knowledge and leadership are crucial.