Table 1 Potential health effects of climate change
From: Climate change, allergy and asthma, and the role of tropical forests
Climate events | Agriculture, forestry | Human health impact |
|---|---|---|
Heavy precipitation events: frequency increases over most areas | Damage to crops; soil erosion, inability to cultivate land, water logging of soils; Adverse effects on quality of surface and groundwater; contamination of water supply | Deaths, injuries, infectious diseases, allergies and dermatitis from floods and landslides |
Area affected by drought | Land degradation, lower yields/crop damage and failure; livestock deaths; land degradation; More widespread water stress | Increased risk of food and water shortage; increased risk of water- and food-borne diseases; cardiovascular disorders |
Number of intense tropical cyclones | Damage to crops; wind throw of trees; Power outages cause disruption of public water supply | Increased risk of water- and food-borne diseases; asthma |
Incidence of extreme high sea level | Salinization of irrigation and well water; Decreased freshwater availability due to saltwater intrusion | Increase in stress-related disease; other allergic conditions |