Climate change and the public health dilemma in India

India is the second largest country in the world by population and is rapidly catching up to China. At the best of times, a lack of adaptive capacity coupled with limited resources to help bolster health infrastructure have made it extremely challenging for the country to cope with the spread of illness and disease. Climate change is now making things far worse. India is an especially fascinating case study in this regard due to its diverse array of temperate zones. From the Himalayas in the far north, to coastal megacities, to deserts where the 50° Celsius mark is regularly breached, the nation is consistently ranked as one of the most vulnerable to climate change. 

Climate change is making life in India particularly difficult.

This paper explores the implications for human health arising from these vulnerabilities. It argues that the extreme temperatures being seen across India are rendering some areas entirely uninhabitable, with the further risk of death following exposure even for several hours. This is compounded by the increasing number of people with respiratory diseases resulting from air pollution, in turn stemming from the country’s single-minded pursuit of economic growth predicated on fossil fuels. Moreover, malaria and cholera epidemics are expected to continue, with easy access to dirty water and increased temperatures creating expanded breeding grounds for disease-carrying vectors. Severe mental health consequences will also be discussed.

Read the story from the Climate Institute by Marcus Arcarnjo - “Climate change and the public health dilemma in India."