Reducing Climate-Sensitive Disease Risks

Disease risks to humans, animals, and
plants are determined by interconnected environmental
variables that affect incidence, transmission, and outbreak.
Climate change affects many of the environmental variables
that lead to disease. Regardless of the species involved,
the impacts can ultimately affect the health, livelihood,
and economic security of humans. The objective of this World
Bank economic and sector work is to build on scientific and
operational knowledge of early action tools to help
practitioners reduce the risks of key climate-sensitive
infectious diseases by strengthening risk management systems
for disease outbreaks. The report includes an assessment of
known interventions such as the establishment of
surveillance systems, the development of region and
nation-specific disease outlooks, the creation of
climate-sensitive disease risk maps, and the construction
and implementation of early warning advisory systems. This
research highlights the need for better understanding of the
evolving interactions between the environment and emerging
and reemerging disease pathogens. It also points to the
inseparable interactions between animal health and human
health, which climate change appears to be reinforcing and
even diversifying. The assessment looks at investments that
can lead to the development of these tools, working toward
reducing global climate-sensitive disease risk. Because of
the breadth of species affected by climate-sensitive
disease, it has been helpful to select a model through which
the specific impact of climate change and disease can be
traced. In this instance, livestock has been chosen, given
its significant global presence, economic importance, and
susceptibility to disease outbreak. The livestock sector
plays a vital role in the economies of many developing
countries. Globally it accounts for 40 percent of
agricultural gross domestic product (GDP).