Climate change will increase diseases, premature deaths and will cause an increase in malnutrition in regions such as Africa or Latin America, warns a new UN report, which confirms that almost half of the world’s population is already vulnerable to global warming
Two women walk through the arid land in Somalia in a file image. EFE / Pablo Tosco
Between 3.3 and 3.6 billion people live in contexts that are highly vulnerable to climate change, underlines the document, which anticipates the possible effects of this global warming on health, food security, cities and other aspects of human life.
In the medium and long term (between 2041 and 2100) the authors of the study anticipate an increase in diseases transmitted through the consumption of food, water and other factors, as well as deaths related to heat waves.
The report thus anticipates an increase in dengue cases, with longer and more geographically widespread epidemics of this disease, which could even make it reach Europe.
It also anticipates more mental health problems, such as anxiety or stress, “especially among children, adolescents, the elderly, and people with underlying conditions.”
At the food level, the report warns about the possible decrease in agricultural production, which could cause malnutrition, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South and Central America.
The report indicates that populations living in coastal areas are especially vulnerable to climate change, with approximately one billion people exposed to long-term extreme weather events.
In the current context, with a global average temperature of approximately 1.1 degrees Celsius above industrial levels, human populations are already being negatively impacted, also economically, with serious damage to sectors such as agriculture, fishing , energy or tourism.
In cities, especially in the most vulnerable informal settlements, climate change has intensified phenomena such as pollution and the so-called “heat islands”, processes that affect key infrastructures such as transport, energy networks, water supply or the sewer.
Climate change has already contributed to health crises, especially in small island states, although it has also been key to the increase in floods and food insecurity in Africa and Latin America.
Experts acknowledge that although non-climatic factors such as geopolitical tensions are still the main drivers of conflicts, in some latitudes they have influenced their duration, severity or frequency.
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