By Julie Potyraj
The impact of climate change on agriculture is often
discussed in relation to environmental health. It threatens “global food
security, sustainable development, and poverty eradication,” according to the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Factors like loss of farmland and changes in water
availability could yield a decline in both the quality and quantity of crops. Droughts and floods could become more
regular and erratic as global temperatures rise, making it difficult for
farmers to plant and harvest crops. Extreme weather events are already taking a
toll on agricultural land around the world. Rural men and women whose livelihoods
depend on the availability and accessibility of natural resources are
especially vulnerable. Many of the 3 billion people who live in rural
regions of developing countries rely on agriculture. Climate change threatens
their food supply and their income.
However, the vulnerability of rural farmers extends beyond
environmental concerns. Their health is also at risk. Climate change is likely
to impact both the frequency and severity of human health issues, according to “An Overview of
Occupational Risks from Climate Change,”
an article by faculty members of the Master of Public Health program at The George
Washington University. The paper also notes that changes in climate will likely
intensify health and safety issues for both indoor and outdoor workers in a
wide range of professions. Agricultural workers, including farmers, represent
some of the most vulnerable populations to these new risks. Increased heat
exposure, which can lead to heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and even death, poses
a particularly great threat to these workers. They also face greater
exposure to ozone and vector-borne diseases. Extreme rain events and flooding
could also increase susceptibility to infectious diseases and enteric infections, which are typically
transmitted through contaminated food or water.
MPH@GW, the online MPH program from The Milken Institute School of Public Health at GW
recently published the above graphic to
outline some of the most prominent health threats to workers around the world. The effects on individual
workers vary depending on environmental and ecological factors. However,
climate change is expected to exacerbate threats to occupational health around
the world. For vulnerable rural populations, climate adaptation strategies must include measures related to
health in addition to agriculture.