Lok Sabha Question No. 3417 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-05
Subject: Death Due to Climate Change
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: SHIVAJI ADHALRAO PATIL, Shrirang Appa Barne, VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 3417 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH AUGUST, 2016

## DEATH DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

## 3417. SHRI ADHALRAO PATIL SHIVAJIRAO: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE: SHRI VINAYAK BHAURAO RAUT: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the assessment made by World Health Organization (WHO) regarding increase in thedeaths each year world - wi e by 2030 due to climate change and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether India is likely to undergo the agony in a big way on account of increasing incidence of malaria, diarrhoea ,heat stress and under - nutrition and if so, th e reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c)  whether  WHO  has  proposed adoption  of  a  new  approach  of  linking  health economics assessment  and  climate  change and  issued  advisory  to  various  countries i cluding  India  for increased health spending to counter disea ses induced by climate change; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the steps/ measures taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a): As  informed  by  World  Health  Organization  (WHO),  human  actions  are  causing significant changes to the global climate system. These are creating observed consequenc environmental  and  social  conditions  across  all  continents.    As  many  of  the  largest th concerns are strongly influenced by weather and climate conditions, this inevitably prese for human health. A report has been published by WHO regarding quantitative risk assess of  the  effects  of  climate  change  on  selected  causes  of  death  i n  2030  and  2050. This  report summarizes the potential impact of climate change on health metrics and attributable mo for two future time periods: 2030 and 2050. The assessment is an advance on previous st but it is still constrained by limited quantitative information about, and understanding of causal mechanisms linking climate with health impacts on a global and local scale. No assessmen been made on the current burden of disease due to observed climate change (warming since 1960s) ( WHO, 2009a). Directorate General of Health Services have further informed that t above study estimates that approximately 2, 50, 000 additional deaths may occur due to c change per year between 2030 and 2050.

(b): WHO  has  informed  that  the  global  effect  of  climate  change  on  the  world  is  likel affect  India  as  well  and  add  to  the  existing  burden  on  these  problems.  The  Prime  Minister's Council on climate change, at its first meeting held on 19 January 2015, approve d a new Mission on Health under National Action Plan on Climate Change.

Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare  has  constituted  a  National  Expert  Group  o Climate Change and Health in July 2015.  The terms of reference are to prepare an Action for mitigating  effects  of  environment  and  climate  change  on  human  health  in  India recommend strategies  for mitigating adverse effects of  climate change  on human health capacity building, coordination and Monitoring & Evaluation mechanisms.

(c)& (d) : In  May  2016,  the  Executive  Board  of  World  Health  Assembly  considered  an update on climate change and health in light of agreements reached by the Conference o Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change . This conference concluded that new and more coherent approaches to climate change action were needed to aligning object of economic development with those of environmental protection, and with health and hum wellbeing. Among the recommendations were three, aimed at developing a new approach to link health, economics and climate change as follows:

- I. Articulate a coherent approach to climate change, health, and economics that includ concept of natural capital and environmental health externalities, and could help makers t o access the health gains and health savings from climate action.
- II. Engage across relevant organizations to develop a comprehensive internation assessment of the economic costs associated with the health effects of climate c under different scenari os of adaptation and mitigation action and/or inaction, includi effects  on  the  health  sector  itself,  as  well  as  valuing  health  externalities  on decisions in other sectors. This should include an assessment of the additional inv that will b e required to ensure health resilience to climate change as part of uni health coverage.
- III. Provide countries with the means for conducting such assessments of their Nation Determined Contributions under the UNFCCC, particularly to equip countries to include evaluation  of  health  within  their  internal  cost -benefit  analyses  of  the  policies  or technology  choices  to  meet  their  commitments  on  climate  change  mitigation  an adaptation.

WHO  is  working  with  countries  to  raise  awareness,  advocacy  levels  and capacity development and initiating pilots on the adaptation of health to climate change in Member A  comprehensive  training  package  on  health  and  climate  change  has  been  developed  f countries in the South - east Asia region. Most Member States have established focal points for health and climate in their ministries of health.

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change published a report titled 'Climate Change in India, A4X4 Assessment -A Sectoral and Regional Analysis for 203 0s' in November 2010. The report has assessed impacts of climate change on four key sectors of Indian ec namely  Agriculture,  Water,  Natural  Ecosystems  &biodiversity  and  Health  in  four  clim sensitive  regions  in  India,  namely  Himalayan  region,  Wester n  Ghat ,  Coastal  areas  and  the North - East region. In health terms the report has projected spread of Malaria in new areas