The Health Impacts of Climate Change on Low-Income Areas
The effects of climate change will have significant implications on public health. While no one is immune, health impacts can disproportionately affect low-income populations and underserved communities. Experts agree that some areas are at higher risk and less able to counteract the adverse health effects of climate change than others.
Dr. Michele Morrone, chair of 91Ƶ’s Department of Social and Public Health, said, “The communities that are contributing to the problem the least are those that are likely to be impacted the most.”
In her view, communities generating the least amount of greenhouse gases may be most affected by climate change. She explained, “The impacts of things, especially extreme weather events, are likely to affect low-income areas the most because they don’t have the mechanisms in place to address the current conditions, and as climate change exacerbates potential health issues, they’re likely to have more extreme health impacts.”
Public health professionals are uniquely positioned to prepare for and address the health impacts of climate change. To understand the role that public health experts can play in protecting underserved communities, it’s essential to understand how health and climate are connected.
How are Climate Change and Health Connected?
The relationship between climate change and health can be direct or indirect and affect physical or mental health.
Direct Impacts
The most direct impact of climate change on health and well-being is the danger of catastrophic weather events. These events include:
- Hurricanes and coastal storms
- Extreme heat
- Drought
- Wildfires
- Floods
According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the health effects of extreme weather are worsened when it disrupts critical infrastructure, such as electricity, drinking and wastewater services, roads, and healthcare facilities. These systems often rely on each other; one disruption may lead to others.1
Underserved communities lack resources to repair infrastructure after weather events, prolonging the danger to health and safety in the area.
Indirect Impacts
Climate change creates indirect environmental impacts such as wildfire smoke affecting air quality or mold contamination of flooded buildings. These indirect environmental impacts lead to adverse health outcomes that can tax a community’s resilience. Community resilience is a function of many factors, including the availability of resources and social cohesion, so underserved communities are more vulnerable to health impacts from climate change.
Climate-related temperature changes can hurt farming, making healthy foods less accessible and more expensive. Those who rely on the land for their income can also take a financial hit that may make eating nutritious food and getting proper healthcare harder.
Morrone also pointed out that climate change can make humans more susceptible to vector-borne illnesses – diseases transferred from one animal to another by insects or other organisms. She said, “One example occurs during times of drought. If you have a dog water bowl or something like that outside, there’s potential for humans and pets to have more contact with vectors that could contribute to diseases.”
This is one way temperature changes can increase the risk of vector-borne disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), climate changes can lead to vector/pathogen adaptations, causing shifts or expansions in their geographic ranges. A warmer climate can increase humans’ exposure to ticks, mosquitoes, and other insects, leading to increased incidence of conditions like Lyme disease and West Nile Encephalitis.2
Mental Health Impacts
It’s important to consider the relationship between climate change and mental health. The American Psychological Association says that climate change leads to increases in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide, aggression and anxiety.3
The impact of the stress and anxiety, as well as trauma, that climate change can inflict on low-income communities can be severe. An extreme weather event is incredibly stressful. That, combined with the indirect effects of climate change, could lead to mental health issues that can affect a person’s long-term quality of life and physical health.
Public health officials must work to minimize the risk to mental health as well as physical health in all communities, especially those with limited resources.
Impact Your Local Community
What Communities are the Most Impacted?
When asked who is the most impacted by the health consequences of climate change, Morrone said, “Rural, underserved populations, people who are in lower-income communities, and especially communities that rely on the environment for survival, including Indigenous communities.”
Morrone’s colleague, Dr. Tiffany Arnold, associate professor of instruction at 91Ƶ, agrees. She explained climate change's effect on rural Appalachia, referencing historic flooding in Eastern Kentucky in July 2022.
According to the National Weather Service, overwhelming amounts of rain and resultant flooding led to 39 deaths and widespread catastrophic damage across several counties.4 The NWS reported that entire homes and parts of some communities were swept away by flood waters, leading to costly damage to infrastructure in the region.
Arnold said some residents still live in the temporary trailers brought in for emergency housing during initial clean-up efforts because residents do not have the resources to get back on their feet.
These communities struggle to recover from life-changing climate events, meaning their quality of life and long-term mental and physical health could be affected for many years.
Even though low-income and underserved communities are at the highest risk, Morrone pointed out that no community is immune to the impacts of climate change. “It impacts everybody. There’s no control group when it comes to climate change. Everybody has different health effects, but there are no controls.”
How Can Public Health Officials Help?
Morrone said climate change and health go hand in hand because public health is about prevention, protection and promotion. “This is the ultimate professional endeavor because it hits so many different health conditions,” she said. “It affects all of what we do.”
One way to support communities is through preparation and adaptation. The NIEHS states that preparation and adaptation can include:1
- Early warning systems
- Planning development away from high-risk areas
- Developing evacuation plans
- Building sea walls to help with flooding
- Forest management to mitigate wildfires
- Harvesting rainwaters to provide water during droughts
- Waterproofing energy grids
When asked what skills are most important for public health professionals working to make a difference in underserved communities impacted by climate change, Morrone and Arnold agreed that communication and cultural understanding are essential.
Arnold said, “To be able to prepare communities, you must understand them. You can’t say what will benefit a community until you know them and know how they’ll react.”
Morrone expanded on those sentiments. “People have a finite pool of worry. They’re worried about the economy. They’re worried about school shootings. They’re worried about everything else in the world. As public health professionals, how do we go into a community and say climate change is happening now?” Morrone said. “How do we get into that pool of worry so people will get ready?”
She acknowledges that communication and education are challenges in many communities. “One of the best communication approaches for public health professionals is to try to get people to understand the risks. That’s not easy to do with climate change,” she said.
Gain the Skills to Make a Difference as a Public Health Administrator
Tackling the health impacts of climate change is no small task. Gain the skills you need in OHIO’s online Master of Public Health (MPH). With a curriculum designed for real-world application, you will master essential concepts while connecting with hands-on learning opportunities at public health organizations. You'll also work directly with our top-ranked faculty and engage in a community-focused, applied practice experience.
Choose from certificates in either Appalachian Health or Epidemiology, or add three credit hours to your program to earn both. When you graduate, you'll have more than a degree: you'll have a comprehensive understanding of furthering community health.
Sources
- “Health Impacts of Extreme Weather.” National Institute of Environmental Health Services. Retrieved on October 23, 2024, from .
- “Vector-Borne Diseases.” Centers for Disease Control. Retrieved on October 29, 2024, from .
- “How does climate change affect mental health.” American Psychological Association. Published February 7, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2024, from .
- “Historic July 26-30, 2022, Eastern Kentucky Flooding.” U.S. Dept of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. National Weather Service – Jackson, Ky. Office. Published August 2, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from .
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