Is Human Health Affected by Climate Change? An Analysis of Underdeveloped, Developing, and Developed Countries
Chapter from the book:
Durgun,
B.
(ed.)
2023.
Macro Aspects of Environmental Economics.
Synopsis
Climate change directly and indirectly constitutes an important risk factor for human health. It is believed that direct and indirect effects on health are caused by hot/cold air waves, air pollution, and allergens. The leading cause of climate change is thought to be carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, per capita carbon dioxide emissions were used to represent climate change, and death rate, life expectancy at birth, and mortality variables were used to describe human health. While the death rate represents the crude death rate, the mortality variable reflects the death rate from cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases. The impact of climate change on human health was investigated with causality analysis for underdeveloped, developing, and developed country groups between 1990 and 2020. As a result; Benin, Malawi, Ethiopia, Mali, Mozambique, Sudan, and Somalia, which are in the underdeveloped country group; India, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and the Philippines, which are in the developing country group; Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland, which are in the developed country group, a statistically significant causality from climate change to human health has been obtained.