Now that you have completed this study session, you can assess how well you have achieved its Learning Outcomes by answering these questions.

Give two examples of potential positive health impacts and two examples of potential negative health impacts of climate change in low-income countries.

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Examples of potential positive health impacts of climate change in in low-income countries include:

a reduction in deaths due to exposure to extreme cold in winter
a reduction in the geographical distribution of some vectors of infectious disease (e.g. mosquitoes that transmit malaria) because they are less able to survive in the changed climate conditions.

Examples of potential negative health impacts of climate change in low-income countries include (you only need two of these):

an increase in extreme weather events (floods, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires) that directly cause injury or loss of life
a reduction in the productivity of agriculture and livestock farming, leading to food shortages and malnutrition, which in turn increases susceptibility to disease
an increase in the contamination of environmental water sources by animal, human, agricultural and industrial waste, leading to an increase in waterborne and water-washed diseases
an increase in the geographical distribution of some vectors of infectious disease, because they are more able to survive in the changed climate conditions.

Rewrite the paragraph below using terms from the list provided to fill the gaps:

agriculture, climate, crops, export, livestock, waterlogging.

Most low-income countries' economy is highly dependent on……………… which is very sensitive to ………………change. For example, an increase in flooding will wash away ………………, reduce the amount of grazing land for ………………, and reduce productivity due to ……………… of farmland. The impact on low-income countries' GDP is likely to be significant because national income relies heavily on the ………………of agricultural products.

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Most low-income countries' economy is highly dependent on agriculture which is very sensitive to climate change. For example, an increase in flooding will wash away crops, reduce the amount of grazing land for livestock, and reduce productivity due to waterlogging of farmland. The impact on low-income countries' GDP is likely to be significant because their income still relies heavily on the export of agricultural products.

The water supply in low-income countries is expected to decrease if climate change results in more frequent and more severe droughts. Give one reason why a shortage of water is likely to have a negative impact on each of the following:

the economy
the health of people on low incomes in rural and urban populations
the education of school children
the efficiency of sanitation.

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The economy is likely to be affected by water shortages because agriculture and many industries are dependent on water for their productivity.
The health of people on low incomes in rural and urban populations is likely to be affected by water shortages because they may be forced to use unsafe water sources for drinking, which increases their exposure to waterborne disease. They might also wash less frequently, which could increase the risk of water-washed diseases.
The education of school children is likely to be affected by water shortages because they are often required to walk long distances to collect water and so are unable to attend school.
The efficiency of sanitation is likely to be affected by water shortages because there would not be enough water available to flush human excreta from toilets and latrines into septic tanks.