Howard H. Chang, Stefanie Ebelt Sarnat, and Yang Liu

Global climate change affects human health most notably by increasing the frequency and intensity of dangerous heat waves, wildfires, and hurricanes. In addition to extreme weather events, climate change can lead to myriad persistent environmental changes that affect public health. One important area of climate science research is to understand health risks associated with the changing environment.

Changes in local weather patterns can create favorable conditions for higher concentration of ground-level ozone, an air pollutant linked to asthma exacerbation. After heavy rainfalls, drinking water quality can decrease due to contaminated runoffs, especially in rural settings. Ecological changes in vector habitats can encourage the transmission of infectious diseases such as dengue and malaria.

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