Climate

Change & the

Health of our

Children

Prof. Dulanie Gunasekera

University of Sri Jayawardenapura

Climate Change“A change of climate that is attributed directly or indirectly to

human activity, that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and that is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable periods of time.”*

* Article 1 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992

** Lancet series

Mechanism of GHG

Mechanics of CC

Global warming – green house effect

Green House Gases

CO2- major component

Methane – 20 times potent as CO2- (main

source- cattle)

N2O(agriculture)

Industrial gases – HFC, PFC, SF6

Global GHG emissions

Source – IPCC 2007

Distribution of GHG’s Sources of GHG’s

Changes

Global warming: Ambient Temp. rise

Melting ice cap: Sea level rise/coastal flooding

Extreme Weather events – cyclones

floods

droughts

Poor air quality

Ozone layer destruction –solar irradiation(UV)

Global changes

Change in World Temperature

Why Worry?

Affects us more – island nations

Low/mid income countries

Vulnerable populations – poor, old,children

150,000 deaths (globally) – 88% children*(2000)

(*Sheffield & Landrigan – Env. Health Perspectives -

March 2000)

CC in Sri Lanka

Average Temp Trend- SL

Trend of Temp Changes - SL

Projected increases

Rainfall-Sri Lanka

Rainfall Variability

Increasing Dry Days – dry zone

Single Day High Rainfall – wet zone

Extreme Weather Events

Increasing Flooding/ earth slips – wet zone

Low/ missed seasonal rains – longer

drought in dry zone

Cyclones

Sea – storm surges

Sea Level Rise - SL

Source – SL met. Dept

Sea level rise-SL

Coastal erosion - at 0.5m/yr

Rate of accretion – 0.2m/yr

Sea water intrusion → destruction of fresh

water resources / fresh water life

eg. Muturajawela wetlands

Why children?

Larger surface area

Less heat adaptive mechanisms

Consume more food & water/Kg body wt.

Longer life span

In utero period – vulnerable to environ.

toxins

No decision making powers

Effects of CC on children

Direct Effects- Temperature Rise

High Temperature - heat stroke

Urban “Heat Island” Effect – raises temp by 5C

temp rise > 20C: each 2C → 2.6% increase in

mortality in children (Brazil)*

*chapter 8- population dynamics and climate

change – UNFPA

Direct Effects - Extreme Events

Floods/ landslides

Cyclones

Drought

Results –

Death/Injury,

loss of lively hood, lack of food / water

→ forced migration, poverty, conflict

Indirect Effects

Increase in -

Water borne diseases

vector borne diseases

Respiratory diseases (wheezing)

Lung/skin cancer

Psychological social problems – mental

health

Diarrheal & other GI Diseases

Higher Mortality

Floods/Droughts

Poor Quality of Water

Higher Temperatures

*Protecting health from cc: Connecting science, WHO 2009

**Water supply, sanitation and hygiene Sanitation Report Series,

No. 1. World Bank, Washington

Vector Borne Diseases

Dengue- depends on rainfall variations

(2013/4 Worst DHF epidemic-?)

Major mortality < 25 yrs

Leptospirosis

Poor Air Quality- Air pollution

High temperatures – increased aero

allergens → ↑ resp problems eg. BA

Study @ LRH:

↑ particulate matter (PM10) in air* :↑Wheezing

*Senanayake MP et al: SL Journal of Child Health, 2001; 30: 66-8

Indoor Air Pollution

Reduced/costly fossil fuel → increase use of biofuel → indoor & outdoor air pollution

Biofuel burning → indoor air pollution → inc. in wheezing

50% deaths from ALRI (U-5 age) → due to indoor air pollution*

Study: Galle: Chandhigar **:

kerosene: gas cooking → wheezing X2 more in Galle

* WHO fact sheet 292(2009)**Mistry R, wickremasinghe N et al:Eur J Pediatr 2004, 163(3):145-147

Mitigation/Adaptation - SL

The National CC Policy of Sri Lanka

Goal – mitigation/adaptation to CC

The Research Program on CC-

Agriculture and Food Security (CGIAR)

- influence the CC policy in Sri Lanka

- Raised awareness about the implications cc

(source : www.unhabitat.lk/downloads)

Mitigation/Adaptation - SL

The Ministry of Environment

“ Sri Lanka Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2011-2016”

Disaster Management Centre (DMC)

Mitigation, Research and Development division

Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) - Early Warning Dissemination for natural disasters

“Climatenet” - Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka – networking CC Policy in Sri Lanka

(source: http://www.ips.lk/climatenet/index.html)

Adaptation – need to

Disaster preparedness & management - DMC

Disease surveillance /Mx– diarrhoea

resp diseases

vector borne diseases

strengthen epidemic management – DHF

Improve nutrition – routine supplementation

emergency food supply

control food prices – in disasters

Source: UNICEF Innocenti Research center

Mitigation/Adaptation

Mitigation/Adaptation-Global

Ratification of UNFCCC* -1994- prevent harmful changes to climate

Kyoto Protocol- 1997- Carbon emission reduction targets- 5% by 2012, 18% by 2020 –

“Carbon Trading”

Warsaw 2013 – universal agreement on CC(2015)

*United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Change in climatic zones

Population Affected by Nat.

Disasters- SL