Author(s)

A. Salam

Abstract

The prevalence of diseases and other threats to human health depend largely on local climate. Extreme temperatures can lead directly to loss of life, while climaterelated disturbances in ecological systems, such as changes in the range of infective parasites, can indirectly impact the incidence of serious infectious diseases. Extreme climate changes surpassing their usual statistical ranges and tumbling records could be an early warning sign of global warming. Global warming poses serious challenges to the health sector as well as the environment and hence warrants emergency health preparedness and response. Thus, the main objective of this paper was to review health and environmental effects due to climate change in UAE. To conduct the review, the researchers had accessed different project reports, published articles and policy making papers related to climate change and its effect on health and environment. Climate sensitive diseases are among the largest global killers; hence the major brunt of global climate change in terms of adverse health impact will be mostly borne by poor and developing countries. These killer diseases are born due to ozone depletion, sea level rise, weather disasters, vector borne and marine disease, air pollution and heat effect. Some large-scale climate events have the potential to cause very large impacts. Both short and long term adaptation strategies in response to national and international weather change are needed that will be rife with challenges. It is concluded that an immediate challenge is to build the capacity needed to handle climate variability. Therefore this study recommends that a true preventive strategy needs to ensure the maintenance and development of healthy environments. In the long term, sustainable development and protection of ecosystem services are fundamentally necessary for human health.

Keywords

climate change, health, food insecurity, water supply, weather disasters