Climate May Increase Waterborne Disease Outbreaks

Almost every news and media outlet in Northern America has addressed the issue of climate change. It should be common knowledge by now, and climate change is already occurring. The change in climate is negatively affecting ecosystems and animal species throughout the world. But what remains unknown is how climate change is actually going to impact the overall health of one species in particular: humans.

Climate Change: The Next Major Public Health Threat

As it progresses, climate change is making harsh weather conditions even harsher. This occurs through a basic process. As temperatures increase, some areas will experience extreme droughts while other areas are going to experience extreme precipitation and flooding. These extreme weather events are already having major impacts on public health.

Higher flood rates bring a higher chance of exposure to pathogens. Flooding spreads contaminates, transmits waste, provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and backs up undeveloped drainage and sewage systems. Altogether, this creates a major public health issue, particularly with respect to three categories of disease: mosquito-borne diseases, infections caused by exposure to unsanitary water, and — last but certainly not least — waterborne diseases.

Due to the expected impacts of global climate change on the water cycle and other hydrological structures, waterborne enteric disease outbreaks have become a primary public health concern. This is particularly true in developing countries, which will suffer the most public health impacts from flooding.

Climate Change Gives Rise to Waterborne Diseases in Southern Africa

Climate change is significantly increasing the frequency of extreme natural events, including both floods and droughts. Both of these hydrological conditions pose deadly challenges. In Southern Africa, for example, where there is already a high percentage of disease due to waterborne pathogens, flooding can be more disastrous than a lack of water. This is exacerbated by the fact that modern medicine is not often available.

Consider the example of one easily-preventable disease in the modern world: waterborne diarrheal disease. While this common childhood disease is easily cured with modern medicine, it is the second-leading cause of death in children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa as well as nearly 1.4–1.9 million deaths worldwide.

Study Shows Direct Correlation Between Flooding and Disease Outbreaks

The fact that climate change is posing such major threats to public health is causing scientists to dig deeper into the issue. Kathleen Alexander of Virginia Tech, and Alexandra Heaney and Jeffery Shaman of Columbia University studied the correlation between flooding and disease outbreaks in northern Botswana. The study focused on communities in Botswana that relied heavily on water in the Chobe River floodplain. The question researches were investigating was whether the changing water levels were contributing to diarrheal disease outbreaks, and, if so, how climate change would affect disease vulnerability.

These scientific researchers discovered an evident connection between the population’s vulnerability to the diarrheal disease and the upsurge of water in the surrounding rivers. In other words, flooding had a high relationship with disease outbreaks. Specifically, diseases are linked with changes in volume and quality of water. This information may help engineers design water treatment systems that properly respond to the “ebb and flow of the environment,” but such things are easier said than done.

Scientists Seek Answers

When it came waterborne disease prevention, researchers found local communities were doing everything right. These regions boasted centralized water treatment infrastructure, but high rates of disease outbreaks plagued local populations. The researches came to a conclusion: extreme unpredictability in water conditions, in addition to annual rainfall and flooding, may compromise the water treatment facilities.

Alexander wraps up by illustrating the need for more public health research into the effects of climate change. This is necessary for us to acutely understand and resolve the many complex environmental and health-related issues raised by climate change. Researchers have a long way to go before they can anticipate all the numerous ways climate change is going to affect public health, but what the future holds remains to be seen.

Kayla Sherrell writes for Axiom Communications, Inc., a technical writing and digital marketing firm that offers research and communications services to clients across the public and private sectors.