Kapitel: 3.2.3 Bedeutung des Klimawandels

The significance of climate change for water-related diseases:

Even today one third of the world population suffers from water scarcity, both in terms of water quantity and water quality. Global climate change will affect the distribution and accessibility of safe water and thereby substantially influence the incidence of water-related diseases and deaths, especially in developing countries.

Changing temperature and precipitation patterns will lead to a higher frequency of extreme weather events. Drought periods as well as flooding will cause a deterioration the quality of watersheds and, subsequently, of water abstracted for human consumption.

These mechanisms threaten to cause rising incidences of water-related diseases (i.e., water-borne, water-washed, water-based and vector-borne diseases). Societies face huge challenges to minimise the negative effects of climate change on human health.