Climate change and climate variability: Adaptations to reduce adverse health impacts

Global climate change is likely to have a range of consequences for human h ealth as a result of disturbance or weakening of the biosphere's natural or human-managed Life support systems. The full range of potential human heal th impacts of global climate change is diverse and would be distributed dif ferentially spatially and over time. Changes in the mortality toll of heatw aves and changes in the distribution of vector-borne infectious diseases ma y occur early. The public health consequences of sea level rise and of regi onal changes in agricultural productivity may not occur (or become apparent ) for several decades. Vulnerability is a measure of both sensitivity to cl imate change and the ability to adapt in anticipation of, or in response to , its impacts. The basic modes of adaptation to climate-induced health haza rds are biological, behavioural and social. Adaptation can be undertaken at the individual, community and whole-population levels. Adaptive strategies should not introduce new health hazards. Enhancement of the acknowledged p ublic health infrastructure and intervention programmes is essential to red uce vulnerability to the health impacts of climate change. In the longer-te rm, fundamental improvements in the social and material conditions of life and in the reduction of inequalities within and between populations are req uired for sustained reduction in vulnerability to environmental health haza rds.