Waterborne Illness And Climate Change Analysis

Waterborne Illness and Climate Change: The Impact on Environment Health

Module Three

Stefani Anderson, BSN, RN, PHN Southern New Hampshire University

Analysis

Trends

Climate change will have significant impact and serious consequences to population health. Temperatures are predicted to rise 1.8 to 5.8 C over the next century impacting our health if interventions are not instigated (Shuman, 2010). Drought and heavy rainfall events will increase with climate change. In 1996, wildfires in Colorado contaminated drinking water due to excessive sediment and ask contaminating the surface water supply. In 1999, Lake Mead drought reduced water usage for Nevada, Utah and Arizona (CDC, 2012). USGRP (2016) cites vibrio (Cholera) cases

Each SEM level, social, community and societal, promote health behaviors and offer support for the individual (CDC, 2015). Community and societal engagement promotes early reporting of waterborne illness, safe measures during water crisis and support for individual health. Regulatory entities implement climate change legislation and measures the impact of waterborne illness, creating a cycle of mitigation efforts. Community preparedness, in the event of a water contamination, maintains and plans for safe water supply in water crisis events. Tedim, Leon, & Xanthopoulos (2016) used SEM to address wildfires and climate change. Local and government agencies, along with the community members became less vulnerable and more resilient to wildfire preparedness (Tedium et al., 2016). Responses to wildfire prevention and the social construct of the community created a synergy with the community. However, overarching government and political planning is needed to impact significant change to climate

The CDC (2012) recommended evaluations of drought-related threats, coordination with key response team, health response objectives and action plans to prepare the drought and minimize health impacts is necessary. Mitigation and adaptation interventions will modify health effects of climate change, in turn create a healthier population (NIEHS, 2010). Early and rapid response to waterborne illness as well as climate change legislation is required for sustainable change. Without a structure public health response and efforts to reduce the effects of climate change, changes to our waterborne illness predictions will continue.

Future Interventions

Without mitigation and planning efforts related to risk to drinking water, education on health effects no change the public’s perceptions will occur. Efforts to determine populations at risk, early alert of epidemic, and reduction of green-house gases are key components to reduce waterborne illness (Shuman, 2010). The Kyoto protocol has made efforts to tackle the challenge of climate change, however, the U.S. has not ratified this protocol. Climate change efforts must be implements to reduce water demands and preservation of ecosystems (NIEHS, 2010).

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