Climate Change and Health

Know Your Town April 22, 2023

Did you recently experience heavy rainfall amidst scorching summers? Or did you find it annoying to have a humid atmosphere during winter? Such abrupt changes in weather/ climate are worrisome. Climate change is a global issue, and its ill effects are being intricately dealt with. Climate change affects health in many ways.

In common terminology, health is an amalgamation of many components, including our surrounding environment. Untimely rains, heat and cold waves jeopardise the delicate balance in the ecosystem, affecting air quality, water table, and soil quality leading to various health issues such as respiratory illness, vector-borne diseases, diarrhoea, and dehydration, amongst many others.

Ironically climate change doesn’t have similar effects on all strata of society. The brunt of climate change with the disrupted demarcation of seasons (summer, spring, autumn, winter, rainy) is primarily borne by the not-so-well-to-do societies which do not have state-of-the-art healthcare facilities.

Irrespective, every individual (from any background) has the same responsibilities towards our environment, culminating in climate change that causes health hazards.

Here are some of the do’s and don’ts for you:

Do’s

1. Reduce human warming (global warming caused by human activities) by adapting to eco-friendly measures like biogas, hydro and solar energies.

2 . Prefer battery-driven vehicles over fuel-driven automobiles.

3. Save water and avoid polluting water bodies.

4. Preserve food, and avoid any wastage.

5. Segregate and manage waste at individual and community levels.

Don’ts

1. Don’t litter in public places or pollute the environment.

2. Don’t eat junk or oily food; instead, have healthy food.

3. Don’t use colouring agents; use biodegradable, herbal colours.

4. Don’t adapt to a sedentary lifestyle; do regular physical activities.

5. Don’t criticise; encourage and promote behaviour change towards sustainable development.

– Dr. Purva Joshi

The writer is a Public Health Specialist and Drug Safety Physician at IQVIA, Thane.