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Building a Climate-Resilient Healthcare System
March 29, 2023
Each year, environmental factors due to anthropogenic climate change kill at least 13 million people worldwide, and casualties are predicted to rise significantly over the coming decade. The World Health Organization (WHO) finds that climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. The Earth is now 1.8° F (1.1° C) warmer than pre-industrial times and is predicted to get even warmer by 2050. As a result, more severe heatwaves, floods, droughts, wildfires, diseases, and storms are causing poorer health and increased death rates in record numbers. The 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (ICPP) states, with very high confidence, that climate-related illnesses, premature deaths, malnutrition, and threats to mental health will continue to increase in the near and long term.
Author: Mary Jane Maxwell, Ph.D., is a Senior Expert at WBD and a Certified Climate Change Professional.