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Source: Marshall Burke, Solomon M. Hsiang, Edward Miguel, “Global non-linear effect of temperature on
economic production,” Nature.
4.3 Health
Rising temperatures and precipitation change air quality increase health risks. Rising air and water
temperatures and various intense extreme events will increase the number of diseases transmissible by
food or water, which will affect food and water safety.
As warming increases, the number of deaths caused by cold will decrease and the number of deaths
caused by heat will increase. The number of deaths caused by heat is expected to be greater than the
decrease in the number of deaths caused by cold. The frequency and severity of allergic diseases, including
asthma and hay fever, will increase.
Climate change will also cause the distribution of insects and disease-carrying pests. More people will be
exposed to ticks that carry Lyme borreliosis and mosquitoes that carry viruses such as Zika, West Nile and
Dengue. Extreme weather events can also have an impact on mental health, particularly when they lead to
degradation of livelihoods.
Adaptation and mitigation policies and programmes that help individuals, communities and countries
prepare for the risks of climate change are reducing the number of injuries, diseases and deaths from
climate-related health effects.
