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Every year the lives of millions of people are destroyed by disasters, both caused and made worse by the climate crisis. From wildfires to droughts, rich and poor countries face increasingly frequent  – but the world’s most vulnerable bear the brunt of their effects.

Even if global warming is limited to  above pre-industrial levels, as stipulated in the , increasing numbers of people will still be left without healthcare, shelter and food when disasters hit.

In many countries that host  (from Bangladesh to South Sudan) cramped, hot conditions in camps lead to  of communicable illnesses like tuberculosis and cholera. 

These environments can also create a breeding ground for diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, like  and worsen . Inadequate healthcare services are overwhelmed, and mental as well as physical health .

In the long term, limited access to healthcare and nutritious food for children stunts their development. This has major economic fallouts: if children are unable to thrive, they cannot grow up to achieve their full potential in society and to help others in turn. This is just one of the immeasurable health impacts of the climate emergency. 

We asked aid workers how to best prepare for the climate emergency in places where its effects are most severe when we carried out our  study, which is detailed in . 

We came up with seven critical changes to mitigate the impacts of climate change on human health in vulnerable regions of the world.

1. Get informed

Accessing credible, accurate climate information is more important than ever. Everyone, from aid workers to community leaders, needs to be aware of the realities of climate change and its local effects if they are to avoid, or help treat, its medical consequences. For example, tracking salt content in drinking water due to  that pollute groundwater allows communities to prepare alternative sources of water in advance.

2. Plan ahead

The heat waves experienced across the  this summer offered a taste of the physical, mental and emotional distress caused by unrelenting . These effects are magnified in low-income countries, where crowded, exposed housing and work conditions make it more difficult to escape heat and  is more likely.

Emergency healthcare systems in vulnerable regions are designed for short term action to improve these conditions. However, given the long term impacts of the climate emergency, aid workers need to anticipate far-reaching effects including  over water, land and medicine. For example, the  now plans its strategies to combat hunger at least four years in advance.

3. Act early

Preemptive action saves lives, time and money. If people, communities and aid workers are able to act early before emergencies become acute, suffering can be prevented. For example, when a region goes a certain number of days without rainfall – heralding a period of drought – health crises like life-threatening  in children can be more easily avoided. 

4. Update training

Local health training is vital to respond to disasters, including infectious epidemics, that are exacerbated by the climate emergency. In 2021, the medical aid charity  worked with doctors and nurses in Yemen to build local capacity to respond to infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19, which are likely to  as the planet warms. This work could teaching life-saving skills, providing equipment and leading training courses on updated care methods. 

5. Global collaboration

The scale of the climate emergency transcends the capacity of any one nation. As we saw during the pandemic, a health crisis that begins in one country can quickly spread across the planet. Humans belong to a , obliging us to work together across borders to prevent climate-related illness. For example, organisations like the  and the  Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs work together to prevent the worst effects of annual on human health and wellbeing.

6. Protect the environment

Just as medical doctors are guided by the the axiom “”, humanitarian healthcare workers must prioritise minimising environmental harm. An important first step is to establish a  of current local environmental states to more accurately measure changes, and set local targets for things like  generation to make sure environmental degradation is reduced as much as possible. This, in turn, will decrease the burden on healthcare systems.

7. Speak up

Those in positions of privilege, such as academics and aid workers, can advocate for those most effected by the climate emergency and magnify the voices of the vulnerable. Readers can also help by joining campaigns  to help spread the word.