Impacts of climate change on public health in India - Paper published in Environmental Health Perspectives

This paper published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives briefly summarises the relevant literature and highlights the challenges and opportunities for innovative research in the context of the impact of changing temperatures and precipitation patterns due to climate change on the health of populations from developing countries such as India. The paper argues that in spite of having low global greenhouse gas emissions,the adverse health effects associated with climate change are likely to fall disproportionately on populations from developing countries such as India, which are already experiencing scarcity of resources, environmental degradation, high rates of infectious disease, weak infrastructure, and overpopulation.

The paper argues that such research is needed to pave the way for unique and pioneering solutions that can improve public health in the face of increasing climate variability. The paper reviews the current state of the science relevant to the 2009 Joint Indo–U.S. Workshop on Climate Change and Health that was held in Goa, India, and then discusses the observed relationships between climate variability and human health, specifically in relation to the Indian subcontinent, highlighting future research directions.

The paper makes some recommendations to advance research and relevant to climate change and human health and includes:

• Environmental monitoring and surveillance
• Geospatial technology
• Human and technical capacity

The paper concludes that:

• Innovative, multidisciplinary investigations using environmental epidemiologic methods to elucidate health risks posed by climate variability and subsequent climate change in regions such as India are possible.
• However, such work will require expanded partnerships among researchers, governments, and communities to develop a co benefit strategy that addresses public health challenges and risks associated with climate change.
• Adoption and implementation of these research initiatives will provide the necessary tools and infrastructure to pose interesting scientific questions and design effective solutions to the complex issues imposed by climate change.

The paper can be accessed from this link