Climate Change is a Public Health Emergency—Here’s Why:
Climate change is often seen as an environment or political question - but it is also a major public health crisis. From deadly heat waves to new infectious diseases, the effect of a warming planet is already threatened with human health worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has called climate change "The biggest threat to global health in the 21st century". Let's see how rising temperatures, extreme weather and environmental changes risk human life.
SECTION: CLIMATE CHANGE & ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
4/22/20252 min read
Climate change disrupts global food systems, reducing both crop yields and nutritional quality.
Extreme events such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves destroy crops and shorten planting seasons
Nutritional value in staple crops like wheat, rice, and corn may decline, particularly in essential nutrients like iron and protein
This leads to increased food prices, higher levels of hunger and malnutrition, and greater risks of stunted growth and developmental problems in children from low-income areas.
Climate change influences the spread, intensity, and geographic range of infectious diseases, especially those linked to insects, water, and food.
Vector-borne diseases are spreading more widely due to rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns, which expand the habitat of mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. This increases the transmission of diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus, and Lyme disease.
Waterborne diseases are also on the rise. Flooding and higher temperatures encourage the growth of bacteria like E. coli in water sources. Poor sanitation after extreme weather events further increases the risk of infection outbreaks.
To address these risks, both mitigation and adaptation strategies are necessary.
Mitigation includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to clean energy and sustainable transportation systems.
Adaptation includes developing heat action plans in cities, strengthening public health systems and emergency preparedness, improving healthcare access and early warning systems, and investing in climate-smart agriculture to protect food security.
Egypt faces particular challenges due to its limited natural resources and rapid population growth.
Temperatures are expected to rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. Egypt’s dependence on the Nile River makes the country especially vulnerable to water scarcity. Droughts, unpredictable rainfall, and sea-level rise threaten agricultural productivity, particularly in the Nile Delta.
Risks include soil erosion and seawater intrusion, which reduce land fertility and freshwater crop yields. Urban areas like Cairo face more frequent and severe heatwaves, placing additional pressure on energy resources and healthcare systems. Climate change is also expected to increase air pollution and the spread of diseases.
Egypt has begun investing in renewable energy and climate adaptation strategies, but stronger and more coordinated efforts are needed to protect vulnerable communities and ensure sustainable development in the face of these growing environmental threats.