TY - JOUR
T1 - Impact of Climate Change on Health and Well-Being of People in Hindu Kush Himalayan Region
T2 - A Narrative Review
AU - Dhimal, Meghnath
AU - Bhandari, Dinesh
AU - Dhimal, Mandira Lamichhane
AU - Kafle, Naviya
AU - Pyakurel, Prajjwal
AU - Mahotra, Narayan
AU - Akhtar, Saeed
AU - Ismail, Tariq
AU - Dhiman, Ramesh C.
AU - Groneberg, David A.
AU - Shrestha, Uttam Babu
AU - Müller, Ruth
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Dhimal, Bhandari, Dhimal, Kafle, Pyakurel, Mahotra, Akhtar, Ismail, Dhiman, Groneberg, Shrestha and Müller.
PY - 2021/8
Y1 - 2021/8
N2 - Climate change and variability affect virtually everyone and every region of the world but the effects are nowhere more prominent than in mountain regions and people living therein. The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is a vast expanse encompassing 18% of the world’s mountainous area. Sprawling over 4.3 million km2, the HKH region occupies areas of eight countries namely Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, and Pakistan. The HKH region is warming at a rate higher than the global average and precipitation has also increased significantly over the last 6 decades along with increased frequency and intensity of some extreme events. Changes in temperature and precipitation have affected and will like to affect the climate-dependent sectors such as hydrology, agriculture, biodiversity, and human health. This paper aims to document how climate change has impacted and will impact, health and well-being of the people in the HKH region and offers adaptation and mitigation measures to reduce the impacts of climate change on health and well-being of the people. In the HKH region, climate change boosts infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), malnutrition, and injuries. Hence, climate change adaptation and mitigation measures are needed urgently to safeguard vulnerable populations residing in the HKH region.
AB - Climate change and variability affect virtually everyone and every region of the world but the effects are nowhere more prominent than in mountain regions and people living therein. The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is a vast expanse encompassing 18% of the world’s mountainous area. Sprawling over 4.3 million km2, the HKH region occupies areas of eight countries namely Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, and Pakistan. The HKH region is warming at a rate higher than the global average and precipitation has also increased significantly over the last 6 decades along with increased frequency and intensity of some extreme events. Changes in temperature and precipitation have affected and will like to affect the climate-dependent sectors such as hydrology, agriculture, biodiversity, and human health. This paper aims to document how climate change has impacted and will impact, health and well-being of the people in the HKH region and offers adaptation and mitigation measures to reduce the impacts of climate change on health and well-being of the people. In the HKH region, climate change boosts infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs), malnutrition, and injuries. Hence, climate change adaptation and mitigation measures are needed urgently to safeguard vulnerable populations residing in the HKH region.
KW - climate change
KW - disasters
KW - gender
KW - health
KW - infectious disease
KW - mental health
KW - mountain
KW - non-communicable disease
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85113215126&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fphys.2021.651189
DO - 10.3389/fphys.2021.651189
M3 - Review Article
C2 - 34421631
AN - SCOPUS:85113215126
VL - 12
JO - Frontiers in Physiology
JF - Frontiers in Physiology
SN - 1664-042X
M1 - 651189
ER -