Global health. The current scenario and future perspectives

124 Climate changes trigger other environmental changes. The following describes how these changes can affect the population: ● Sea -level rise and coastal erosion: Between 1901 and 2018, the average sea level has risen by 0.20 meters (IPCC, 2022). The main causes of this increase are the melting of large ice sheets covering polar regions and the thermal expansion of oceans. The effects of this rise affect populations in low-lying areas like islands, riverside areas and coastal regions. These settlements are adversely affected by i) intrusion of saltwater into agricultural areas and freshwater sources; ii) direct damage to critical infrastructure, such as housing and cultivated areas, which forces people to leave their homes and move to safer locations; iii) increased likelihood of the spread of marine bacteria, mainly of the Vibrio genus. ● Changes in precipitation p atterns: Changes in the climate system have caused shifts in precipitation patterns worldwide, which have resulted in deficits in certain areas and increases in others, leading to flash floods and flooding (IPCC, 2022). These changes in patterns are primarily associated with two phenomena relevant to human health: floods and flash floods and droughts. On the one hand, floods and flash floods directly affect people’s material well-being, such as homes and essential living supplies, including food availability. On the other hand, these phenomena can result in diseases, mainly infectious diseases caused by the mixing of contaminated water and drinking water, as well as injuries or death. Droughts, in turn, threaten people’s well-being and health, as there is no availability of fresh water for human consumption or for irrigation of crops, which poses a double risk to the population. ● Food and agriculture: Food is an essential part of people’s lives. Currently, enough food is produced in the world to feed 11 billion people; however, one-third of it is wasted and millions of people still suffer from hunger (WFPUSA.). Inadequate food management and deficient food systems, combined with climate change, result in ongoing GHG emissions, food waste and food insecurity. Evidence has shown that climate change could affect the viability of plantations in certain areas of the planet, as well as the nutritional composition of certain crops like corn and rice (Myers et al., 2014). These changes in the quantity and quality of crops can lead to malnutrition problems in certain populations, with the most vulnerable being severely affected. ● Forest fires: Climate change is associated with an increased frequency and intensity of forest fires, which occur for various reasons. Natural forest fires are necessary for healthy forest growth, but the risk to human beings arises when these invade high-risk fire territories. Moreover, most fires are caused by human actions rather