Environment
The global health effects of climate change are not well quantified today and are likely to increase in the future, with lower-income countries bearing the brunt of greater food insecurity, increased rates of chronic respiratory illnesses, and shifts in vector-borne diseases. This section explores the global health nexus between climate change and pollution and the possibilities for a more coherent policy approach to these issues
Environment
20,000
Every year, approximately 20,000 people die from hypothermia and cold-related injuries
Out Cold: The Most Common Wintertime Injuries in a Warming World
10%
In Brazil, climate change has made the floods twice as likely and nearly 10% more intense
Brazil's Deadly Floods Expose Shortfalls in Disaster Preparedness
0.08%
Sri Lanka and other dengue-endemic countries brought the mortality rate of dengue down to less than 0.08%
Why Nations Need to Prepare for Climate-Fueled Dengue
40,000
More than 40,000 people die of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning annually
Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning When Disasters Hit
32,200
Agricultural burning accounted for approximately 32,200 premature deaths in 2019
Deaths related to the use of fire to clear land
25 Percent
The U.S. makes up 5 percent of the global population, but produces 25 percent of the world's CO2 emissions
The United States and CO2 emissions
4 Million
In 2019, outdoor air pollution was linked to more than 4 million deaths
Air pollution-linked deaths
One-Third
The one-third of Earth under the guardianship of Indigenous peoples boasts ~80 percent of global biodiversity
Indigenous Land Guardianship Around the World
5 Percent
In India, health care contributes to 5 percent of the national carbon footprint
Carbon footprint of India's health-care industry
700,000
Indonesia dumps close to 700,000 tons of plastic into the ocean each year
Indonesia and plastic waste
Featured
Microplastics Above Mexico: A High-Altitude Search for Pollution
Students collect saliva samples at 18,500 feet to uncover how microplastics in the atmosphere could harm health
Where Household Air Pollution Causes the Most Harm
According to a new study, exposure to household air pollution remains a leading risk factor for disease and early death
Video: Climate Change Fuels Lightning Strikes in Kashmir
Lightning strikes were responsible for approximately 7% of fatalities in Jammu and Kashmir from 2020 to 2022
The Pollution Market: An Auction for Better Air Quality in West India
An experiment using emission trading schemes between factories offers an alternative fix for industrial air pollution
The Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty Needs a Climate Makeover
Set to expire in 2026, the 30-year treaty could be remade to safeguard environmental and human health
The India-Pakistan Water Dispute: Unpacking the Health Consequences
Suspending the Indus Waters Treaty could disrupt Pakistan's ability to handle floods, droughts, and pollution
Health Workers Navigate Climate Change in the Bolivian Amazon
Bolivia is the country most vulnerable to climate change in South America and the tenth most vulnerable in the world
The Lasting Damage of Wildfires
The health impacts of wildfires are observed years after the initial blazes
California's Wildfires Demand Action
The January 2025 Los Angeles fires reveal the damaging health consequences of climate-charged hazards
Regaining Momentum on Climate and Health
This year could mark a turning point for efforts to the devastating impacts of climate change on global health
Mental Health After India's Glacial Floods
One year after India's climate disaster, fear and anxiety persist in Himalayan communities
Gender-Based Violence: The Unseen Toll of Hurricanes
The number of women killed in domestic violence incidents doubled after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in 2017
Out Cold: The Most Common Wintertime Injuries in a Warming World
Shifting weather and rising heating costs create wintertime threats, namely among the elderly and other at-risk groups
COP29: The Health Expenses of Climate Change
Does a failure to focus on health economic losses stand opposed to stronger action at the UN summit and beyond?
U.S. Voters Disenfranchised by Climate Change
Electoral planning needs to envision increasingly severe extremes that disrupt the casting and counting of ballots