Climate change has a clear negative impact on human health and affects almost every aspect of the public's life in all countries around the world. The impact of climate change with the phenomenon of sea level rise, changes in rainfall caused drought, floods, heat waves, winds, storms, salinity intrusion, air quality decline, etc. is both direct and indirect on human health, putting more burden of public diseases and posing challenges for many countries and the health sector worldwide. In particular, climate change has a severe effect on public health in Vietnam as Vietnam is one of the countries most affected by climate change in the world.
Specifically, climate change poses a number of risks to human health such as casualties, infectious diseases, malnutrition, heat stroke, psychological stress, conflicts and other substance disorders, etc. Climate change creates favorable conditions for epidemics to develop, in addition to increasing the risk of disease outbreaks (such as diarrhea, eye pain, skin diseases, etc.) during and after floods. In addition, heat waves increase the risk of hospitalizations and deaths for people, especially those having problems with respiratory, circulatory and respiratory diseases, the elderly, young children and those who work outdoors or in harsh conditions, etc. Research also has proved how rays of solar radiation can increase the risk of skin cancer. Especially in Vietnam, the increase in atmospheric temperature escalates some vector-transmitted diseases (dengue fever, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, zika ...) caused by higher growth ability of mosquitoes and pathogenic bacteria, increasing the spread of gastroenteritis (diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhus, food poisoning, etc.) and some other infectious diseases such as cough, red eyes. Diseases related to lack of clean water such as diarrhea, eye pain, dermatitis, genitals/ urinary tract infections, etc. also fall into higher risk due to climate change. Ultimately, increasing population density in major cities exacerbates the risk and severity of the aforementioned diseases.
Experts have identified some groups more vulnerable to climate change than others. The poor and the near-poor are primarily affected by the constraints of physical and infrastructural conditions necessary to prevent and overcome the consequences of extreme weather. Ethnic minorities are also considered more vulnerable to climate change than Kinh people due to their high mountainous habitat, limited knowledge and infrastructure. Children, the elderly, the disabled and/or those with chronic diseases are more likely to be affected by extreme weather and epidemics due to limited immunity and lack of facilities or support services. People working in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, etc. face higher risk of climate change due to frequent exposure to weather/climate factors and, at the same time, the risk of production areas loss, productivity decrease or crop failures also negatively affect their economic conditions and social life. Compared to men, women are more severely affected by climate change due to typical domestic lifestyle and fewer opportunities for career development before and after the disaster. Some areas are more severely affected by climate change than others, such as the Mekong Delta, or areas where people have to self-manage their water supply for drinking and living and store water by using tools. However, overall, people in the Central Region are more severely affected by climate change than people living in other parts of Vietnam.
The report "Climate change, sea level rise scenarios for Vietnam" released by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in 2016 provides the most up-to-date information on assessments, climate change and sea level rise in the 21st century in Vietnam. According to the report, the temperature and rainfall in all regions of Vietnam are on the upward trend; the number of storms and tropical typhoons tends to be less variable but more concentrated at the end of the typhoon season; Sea level rise and so does the risk of flooding due to rising sea level. Therefore, the above-mentioned health impacts of climate change are occurring and will become more severe with this climate change scenario. As climate change will affect each region with different characteristics and levels, appropriate and specific policy responses are necessary for each region.
Vulnerability due to the impact of climate change (including the impact of climate change on the environment) does not depend solely on changes in weather/climate factors, but also on a number of socio-economic factors such as human factors, institutions/policies, socio-economic conditions and infrastructure, and capacity to cope with the impacts of climate change. Therefore, experts have made some recommendations as follow. In terms of policies and institutions, there should be policies to ensure the synchronous planning and development of infrastructure; mechanisms for operating hydropower plants; policies on exploitation and usage of natural resources; Forest protection, agricultural, forestry and fishery development in a sustainable manner, planning suitable to the natural and social conditions of each region; The policy on urbanization in a synchronous and sustainable manner takes into consideration the management of population, as well as household registration in order to eliminate inequalities between indigenous groups and migrant groups. Rural development policy should ensure sustainability and focus on responding to climate change, creating employment opportunities and livelihoods, and timely and appropriate support measures in the event of natural disasters to limit migration; The policy of protecting and aiding the public when natural disasters happen, especially the population groups vulnerable to climate change. In addition, there should be a policy of less cumbersome management and transparency of budget and resources from domestic and international individuals and organizations to increase the efficiency of mobilization and use of resources in mitigation. the impact of climate change; Preferential policies (tax, budget investment, information-dissemination, etc.) for organizations and individuals involved in research, production, development and supply of products/services to help strengthen the ability to cope with climate change; the issue of decentralization and responsibility (management, implementation, monitoring) should be transparent to avoid overlapping, abuse of power, conflicts of interest, etc. The sanctions should be more deterrent to non-eco-friendly behavior (littering, smoking in public places, deliberately maintaining production/business activities affecting the health of the local community, etc.). Specific policies will positively impact adaptation to rising sea levels, natural disasters, and diseases through education and training, the development of preventive health environmental protection services and activities, investment in technology and communication systems.
© 2015 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY INSTITUTE
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