Representational image.
Climate change has been identified as one of the most serious global health threats of the 21st century. CO2 levels in the atmosphere have increased by 46% since pre-industrial times and it is estimated that between 2030 to 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 2,50,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, diarrhoea, and heat stress. Besides this, the direct damage costs to health are estimated to be between USD 2-4 billion/year by 2030.
India is no exception! As per The Global Food Policy Report 2022, climate change may push 17 million people in India towards hunger by 2030 due to a decline in agricultural production and disruption in the food supply chain, the highest among all countries. As per World Bank, child stunting in India is projected to increase by 35% by 2050 compared to a scenario without climate change.
As is evident, climate change will have the most catastrophic impact on public health and is already impacting public health in multiple ways, increased respiratory, cardiovascular, food-, water- and vector-borne and infectious disease; injuries; heat stress and mental health problems. Furthermore, climate change is undermining many of the social determinants of good health, such as livelihoods, equality, and access to healthcare and social support structures, thus creating a double jeopardy for the vulnerable.
Often, the health implications of climate change are directly neither known nor attributable, thus leading to fractured conversations, responsibilities, and actions. While anthropogenic factors are clearly contributing to deepening linkage between client change and health, and should be addressed, the question is, who is the anchor institution? Is it MoHFW, MoEFCC, MoHUA, MoAFW, MoRTH or is it a combination of few or all? The answer varies for each sector. Regardless, a multi-sectoral approach based on evidence-based interventions by various government and private sector institutions is required to achieve optimal health outcomes in the light of climate change phenomenon.
A multi-sectoral approach to tackle climate change
Considering the way climate change is affecting every aspect of our lives, various key sectors such as health, environment, education, agriculture, nutrition and food security, energy, transportation, and industry, must work together to address the health issues posed by climate change. World’s largest cleanliness and sanitation programme, Swachh Bharat Mission is an excellent example of improvement in health outcomes through sustained collaborative efforts across sectors such as Urban Development, Water Resources, Urban/ Rural Livelihood, Rural Development and Public Health among others.
The interventions carried out through a multi-sectoral approach and a multi-stakeholder collaboration will create the required multiplier effect, as there are multiple social and environment determinants of health and achieving health outcomes is a function of progress made across the identified spectrum.
The integrated Climate Action framework for optimal Health outcomes will have a three-dimensional approach.
1) Sectors involved in Planning & Implementation: Health, Environment, Energy, Industry/ Manufacturing, Transport, WASH, Labour, Agriculture, Urban/ Rural, Education/ Skilling, etc.
2) Levels of Governance & Action: National, State, City, Community, Individual
3) Instruments of Interventions: Policy & Regulatory, Planning, Infrastructure, Economic, Technology, Capacity Building & Behaviour Change, Monitoring & Evaluation.
As a case in point, lets look at the interdependence between agriculture and climate change. On one hand, release of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from agriculture related activities contributes to global warming; on the other hand, higher temperatures caused by global warming eventually reduce yields of crops while encouraging weed and pest proliferation.
Agriculture sector contributes to ~30% of total GHG emissions, but at the same time, excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides contaminates water and soil, as well as the food chain, impacting food security and directly impacting the public health and causing higher malnutrition. The contributing factors include, demand-supply mismatch leading to volatile prices and food security, inadequate and fractured market and weather information, and lack of awareness among farmers.
The multi-dimensional interventions will include, climate-smart agriculture policies, new business models for small farmers, financial incentives for farmers, technology interventions to reduce use of water, land, energy, and chemical inputs, to increase crop value, investments in sustainable irrigation, efficient market linkages, etc.
The same framework can be employed for transportation, energy, manufacturing, and all sectors, thus creating a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder approach to Climate Justice in India, thus creating optimal health outcomes along with other socio-economic benefits. Its climate justice for All, by All.
While this integrated approach is put in motion, there are some immediate measures to make our healthcare systems resilient to be able to cater to the unknown and large-scale health implications caused by climate change. These heath systems are weak with limited capacity (infrastructure and staff) to adapt and respond to climate change.
Actions for making resilient healthcare systems include, strengthening primary prevention, multi-disciplinary capacity building of health workforce, strengthen emergency response systems and plans, build climate-resilient infrastructure and technologies (including early warning systems), and most importantly integrating climate action and health linkages in every public and private institution’s strategies.
The above are known to many and action is sometimes episodic or a wish-list, but India has showcased its commitment in form of ‘Panchamrit’ at COP26. As India anchors the G20 agenda in 2023, it can play the lead role in fulfilling the Climate Justice for All, by All commitment to Mother Earth.
The author is the Managing Director, Primus Partners. Views expressed are personal.
Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,
India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Updated Date: December 19, 2022 15:11:05 IST
TAGS:
According to a 2018 study, global warming is on track to wipe out 70 per cent of the world's king penguins by the end of the century
While the link between global warming and heat waves is very direct, the behaviour of winter storms is governed by complex atmospheric dynamics that are more difficult to study
Much of the policy change that can affect climate change is at the local level rather than at the national level. Local victories can spread, triggering national policy, spreading to other countries, and eventually triggering global agreements
Sign up for a weekly curated briefing of the most important strategic affairs stories from across the world.
Firstpost
Section
Plus
Tools
Apps
Network18 sites
Copyright © 2023. Firstpost – All Rights Reserved.
