Improving health worldwide

www.lshtm.ac.uk

ClimatechangeimpactonhumanhealthChallenges&adaptation/mitigationstrategies

incontextoftheSDGs

PaulineScheelbeek– FutureEarth/LSHTM

http://blogs.lshtm.ac.uk/shefs/http://futureearth.org/future-earth-health@LSHTM_sustainhealth

The Great Acceleration

Yet we are healthier than ever before…

Climate change & human health

Heat Mora et al Nature Climate Change - forthcoming

Indirect impacts of heat: Air pollution

• Respiratorydisease• Cardiovasculardisease• Heartdisease• Asthma,COPD• LungCancer• Prematuredeaths

Fossilfuelcombustion:• PM2.5 &PM10• Groundlevelozone

Highertemperaturesstimulatesozoneformation

SalinityScheelbeeketal2017– Env HealthPersp;

Each100mg/ldecreaseindrinkingwatersodium

Ecosystem mediated health impactDengueRisk

In1990:30%population(1.5billionpeople) inregionswithestimatedriskofdengue>50%

In2085:estimated50-60%ofprojectedglobalpopulation,(5-6billionpeople) atriskofdengue

Wouldhavebeen35%(3.5billion)ifnoclimaticchanges

Halesetal TheLancet,2002

Drought & Food Production

Complexities in the food system

Agriculture & food security

• Lowerconcentrationsofzincandiron

(Myersetal,2014)

Impact on Crop Quality

-50% +50%

Negativeeffect Positiveeffect

CO2+250ppm

Wateravailability-50%

Temperature+4°C

Ozone+25%

Leafyvegetables

YieldChange +100%-100%

Baseline≤20°CBaseline>20°C

• Iron• zinc

Fruits & vegetables

Scheelbeeketal - 2017- forthcoming

Disrupted food system

Complexities in the food system

Example of India

• PopulationGrowth• Dietarychange• Groundwaterdepletion• Climatechange

Current dietary patterns

Realistic Dietary Changes

Generate evidence coordinate research agenda

guide implementation of SDGs

CamiAllenFrancesBirdAlanDangourRosieGreenAndyHaines

FrancescaHarrisEdwardJoy

BenjaminKayatzGeorginaMacePeteSmith