Climate Change and Human Health

Climate change impacts on human health span the trajectory of time—past, present, and future. The key finding from the Working Group II, Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that health impacts due to climate change have already occurred in the past, are currently occurring and will continue to occur, at least for the foreseeable future, even with immediate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions [1]. According to the IPCC, there has been increased heat-related mortality and decreased cold-related mortality in some regions as a result of warming (Box 1). Moreover, local changes in temperature and rainfall have altered the distribution of some water-borne illnesses and disease vectors. Impacts of climate-related extremes include alteration of ecosystems, disruption of food production and water supply, damage to infrastructure and settlements, morbidity and mortality, and consequences for mental health and human well-being [1]. In this special issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) we present 20 papers that add further weight to the conclusions of the AR5 of IPCC. Grouped in somewhat overlapping categories, three papers assess infectious disease threats from climate change, seven papers heat-related health impacts, one paper ozone-related mortality and nine papers discuss different aspects of adaptation (Box 2).