Climate Change and Human Health: a Risk of Extreme Weather Events
Climate change because of the rising atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases due to human actions will cause global warming in the planet. Extreme weather events being a "symptom" of a climate change include periods of very high temperature, droughts, storms, torrential rains, and floods. A fundamental global environmental change affecting physical systems and ecosystems, will affect human health as well. More very hot days, possibly fewer very cold days are related to more daily deaths and diseases events. Most heat wave deaths occur in people with cardiovascular or chronic respiratory diseases. Epidemiological studies of extreme temperatures have shown a positive association between heat waves and mortality with elderly people, especially women. Some research indicates that mentally ill people and children are also vulnerable. People living in urban environments are at greater risk than those in non-urban regions. Thermally inefficient housing also amplifies and extends the rise in temperatures. Some adaptations can reduce heat wave morbidity and mortality, as can changes in public health preparedness. Floods and droughts are another extreme weather events affecting human health. Some health consequences arise during or soon after the flooding (injuries, communicable diseases or exposure to toxic pollutants, whereas others (malnutrition and mental health disorders) occur later. Excessive rainfall facilitates centry of human sewage and animal wastes into waterways and drinking water supplies, potentiating water-horne diseases. Droughts (and associated famines) are also related to malnutrition, mental health disorders, cardiovascular diseases but this disaster effects are greater because of their regional extent. Fires as a possible consequence of droughts are followed by highly elevated concentrations of particulate matter (PM10), NOx, and CO in atmosphere air and increased number of respiratory diseases and exacerbation of bronchial asthma. [...].