Page 62 - GALENIKA MEDICAL JOURNAL
P. 62
and training healthcare workers to react promptly to clima- ecosystems, there is also a significant risk of extinction of
te-related disasters. endemic species, which could increase by tenfold with war-
ming of 3°C;
The implementation of the “One Health“ approach in-
volves studying ecosystem changes in vulnerable areas, Furthermore, there will be a continued reduction in wa-
strengthening early detection systems for zoonotic dise- ter availability (global glacier loss of 18 ± 13% will be associa-
ases, preventing epidemics, improving agriculture and in- ted with decreased water availability for agriculture, hydro-
creasing food production, constructing safe water supply power, and human use, along with reduced groundwater on
and sanitation systems, as well as ensuring urban planning islands and negative impacts on freshwater ecosystems),
norms, safe transportation, and supply of clean energy, with extremely low and high streamflows occurring at the
alongside adaptation to existing adverse climate factors. same locations, and an increase in direct flood damages by
1.4-2 times at 2°C warming and by 2.5-3.9 times at 3°C war-
ming compared to the targeted warming of 1.5°C;
Graph 3. Projected CO emissions and warming of Earth's surface
2
in the future related to taken measures Furthermore, there will be a continued reduction in the
availability of safe food due to ecosystem disruption, decre-
ased plant pollination, increased pests and plant diseases,
and reduced biomass of marine life, leading to increased
malnutrition, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia,
Central and South America, and small islands worldwide;
There will be an increase in the number of individuals
affected by vector-borne diseases, primarily hemorrhagic
fevers, as well as a rise in mental disorders, particularly
anxiety and stress, especially among children and older in-
Source: Climate Action Tracker, 2023.
dividuals;
Reducing poverty and hunger, along with promoting
sustainable development in countries, improving social pro- There will be an increase in the costs of maintaining and
tection systems, enhancing psychosocial well-being, and reconstructing urban infrastructure, including construction,
preserving mental health, especially in crisis such as loss of transportation, and energy, which will be particularly signi-
livelihoods, displacement, or migration. ficant in coastal cities and settlements. The economic da-
mage from disasters in many regions will exceed their per
The effects of climate change in the period from 2041 capita income;
to 2100 will depend on the success of reducing CO emissi-
2
ons, which should be proportional to the expected change Progressive increases in migration should not necessari-
in Earth's surface temperature (Graph 3). According to IPCC ly lead to an increase in conflicts, and the risk of violent con-
estimates from 2022 , it is expected: flict should decrease due to relocation to socioeconomically
2
richer environments. However, violent conflicts can be expe-
Further loss and degradation of biodiversity are expe- cted to occur more frequently in regions prone to disasters.
cted along with ecosystem transformation. At the target
global warming level of 1.5°C, an estimated 3-14% of spe-
cies will face a very high risk of extinction, increasing to
39% or 48% with warming of 4°C or 5°C, respectively. Besi-
des the high risk of biodiversity loss in oceanic and coastal
Conclusion
The negative impact of human activity is altering the composition of the global atmosphere primarily
through the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which, beyond the range of natural variations,
further contributes to global warming. The long atmospheric lifetime of these gases, ranging
from 35 to 95 years, indicates the danger of irreversible changes in future climate and its lasting
negative impact on human health. Today, more than 170 countries are actively adjusting their
policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop safe zero-emission energy CO2 production
technologies by 2050 to stabilize the climate. Predictions of a possible increase in global surface
temperature by an optimal 1.5°C by 2100, with negative consequences for plant and animal life as
60 DOI: 10.5937/Galmed2409062I

