Climate Change Global Health Threat: Report

A new study warns that climate change could bring widespread harmful health threats to millions, and that plans for adapting human settlements to climate change need to address social inequities.

1 minute read

May 17, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Michael Dudley


"Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century because it could change patterns of mosquito-borne diseases, exacerbate food and water scarcities and threaten shelter, according to a new report released on Thursday.

The 40-page report, titled Managing the Health Effects of Climate Change, was released jointly by the Lancet and University College London. Researchers focused on the global health implications of climate change on six areas:

* Patterns of disease and mortality, such as the spread of mosquitoes carrying malaria to warmer high altitudes.

* Food security, such as declining crop yields that could lead to greater food insecurity worldwide, where one billion people currently have deficient diets.

* Water shortages that will lead to more gastroenteritis from poor sanitation and malnutrition.

* Shortage of housing in cities and human settlements.

* Extreme climatic events such as flash flooding that will overwhelm sewage systems.

* Population migration.

[The report urges] that the inequity in health systems be addressed and poverty reduction take precedence in the debate on adapting human settlements."

Thursday, May 14, 2009 in CBC

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight