Climate change, human health and the role of environmental health practitioners

Abstract

There is advanced consensus on the anthropogenic roots of climate change. Extreme weather events, including storms of increased intensity or frequency, heatwaves, floods and droughts, as well as rising sea levels and crop failure, are among the most significant associated environmental and public health challenges. Such climate and environmental changes place at risk the fundamental human resources for health, such as shelter, clean water, air quality, and food security and quality. Environmental health practitioners (EHPs) have for decades played a critical role in monitoring and controlling the quality and health of the human environment. They now have an equally important role to play with regard to adaptation strategies and measures to protect communities against the challenges of climate variability at a grassroots level.