Paper: GS – III, Subject: Environment and Ecology, Topic: Global Warming and Climate Change, Issue: Climate Change: A Silent Public Health Crisis in India.
Context:
Climate change is not only about environmental changes like rising temperatures or melting ice. It is directly affecting human health in multiple ways. It is now being considered a public health emergency because it increases diseases, worsens living conditions, and affects food and water availability.
Key Takeaways:
BACKGROUND:
What is Climate Change?
- Climate change refers to the long-term change in temperature, rainfall, and overall weather patterns of the Earth.
- It is mainly caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial emissions.
- These activities increase greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which trap heat in the atmosphere.
- This leads to a gradual warming of the Earth, also known as global warming.
Usual Manifestations of Climate Change:
- Climate change does not happen in a single form; it appears in multiple ways across the world.
- There is a rise in average global temperatures, leading to hotter summers and warmer winters.
- There is an increase in extreme weather events such as heat waves, floods, cyclones, and droughts.
- Rainfall patterns are becoming irregular and unpredictable, causing both floods and water shortages.
- There is melting of glaciers and rising sea levels, which threaten coastal areas.
- There is also a rise in air pollution and changes in ecosystems, affecting biodiversity and human life.
These environmental changes directly and indirectly affect human health.
CORE ANALYSIS:
Why India is Highly Vulnerable?
- India has a large population exposed to climate risks such as heat waves, floods, and air pollution.
- A significant portion of the population depends on agriculture, which is highly sensitive to climate change.
- Many regions lack strong healthcare systems and infrastructure to handle these challenges effectively.
Conclusion/ Way forward:
- Climate change is no longer a distant or purely environmental issue.
- It acts as a multiplier of health risks, as it worsens existing problems and creates new health challenges at the same time.
- It is already affecting the daily health and well-being of people.
- Therefore, it must be treated as a serious public health emergency, and governments must take urgent steps to address it.
UPSC SYLLABUS LINKAGE – (GS Paper 2: Issues relating to management of health);GS Paper 3: Environment, climate change).
Source: (The Hindu)
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