A new report out today suggests that climate change will have a profound effect on the health of people in the UK
The report.based on a worst-case scenario, which would see high emissions and temperatures rising by 4C by 2100, says that the potential impacts of climate change on health will be significant and wide-ranging. The evidence is strongest for adverse impacts on health due to heat and cold,flooding and and vector-borne disease risks increasing under a warming climate.
The report, involving 90 experts, pulls together the “substantial and growing” evidence of the current effects of climate change on our health.
It also makes projections based on what it says is a “plausible worst-case scenario” that could happen if international commitments to tackle climate change are not properly kept.
Scientists say that there could be up to 10,000 excess deaths a year due to extreme heat by the 2050s and a substantial number of deaths related to the cold, particularly for an ageing population as well as big impacts on mental health and wellbeing of young people
Heat and cold-related deaths are both projected to increase in the UK, although cold
impacts will dominate until late century, largely due to an ageing and growing population.
Increased risk of flooding will mean that people, properties, and infrastructure that were not previously at risk will become at risk of flooding.
The UK will become more suitable for the survival of vectors of public health importance, notably Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.Transmission of dengue and chikungunya, and West Nile virus may be possible in the latter half of the century or sooner.
Food imports and prices, particularly for fruits and vegetables, will be more volatile due to high UK dependence upon foods from particularly climate-vulnerable countries.
Some risks that are not currently considered threats to health in the UK will emerge, including increased exposure to wildfires and drought .
The report finds that The health risks of climate change will not be distributed equally across generations.Current working age adults will be in their vulnerable retirement years and those who will be adults in the 2050s to 2080s will face the greatest burden of adaptation
Responding to a report by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warning of the effects of climate change on health in the UK, Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board said:
“It’s clear from this stark report that climate change could have a serious impact on the health of our local communities.
“These changes include a much greater risk of flooding, extreme heat and the spread of vector borne diseases transmitted by organisms such as ticks and mosquitoes.
“This report shows that many people could be affected by extremes of weather in our communities. The impact of climate change on individuals will vary, with the worst effects on disadvantaged and vulnerable populations, which could widen health inequalities further.
“Despite the best efforts of councils we know climate change will intensify into the future and councils are concerned that people and places will be left increasingly vulnerable without further preparation. They need further support to prepare their communities for impacts of climate change before it is too late.”
