Climatic change affects tourism development
Journal of Travel Medicine International Society of Travel Medicine
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Climate change impact on migration, travel, travel destinations and the tourism industry
Jan C Semenza, PhD, Kristie L Ebi, PhD
Journal of Travel Medicine, Volume 26, Issue 5, 2019, taz026, https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taz026
Published: 12 April 2019 Article history
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Abstract
Background: Climate change is not only increasing ambient temperature but also accelerating the frequency, duration and intensity of extreme weather and climate events, such as heavy precipitation and droughts, and causing sea level rise, which can lead to population displacement. Climate change-related reductions in land productivity and habitability and in food and water security can also interact with demographic, economic and social factors to increase migration. In addition to migration, climate change has also implications for travel and the risk of disease. This article discusses the impact of climate change on migration and travel with implications for public health practice.
Methods: Literature review.
Results: Migrants may be at increased risk of communicable and non-communicable diseases, due to factors in their country of origin and their country of destination or conditions that they experience during migration. Although migration has not been a significant driver of communicable disease outbreaks to date, public health authorities need to ensure that effective screening and vaccination programmes for priority communicable diseases are in place.
Population growth coupled with socio-economic development is increasing travel and tourism, and advances in technology have increased global connectivity and reduced the time required to cover long distances. At the same time, as a result of climate change, many temperate regions, including high-income countries, are now suitable for vector-borne disease transmission. This is providing opportunities for importation of vectors and pathogens from endemic areas that can lead to cases or outbreaks of communicable diseases with which health professionals may be unfamiliar.
Conclusion: Health systems need to be prepared for the potential population health consequences of migration, travel and tourism and the impact of climate change on these. Integrated surveillance, early detection of cases and other public health interventions are critical to protect population health and prevent and control communicabledisease outbreaks.
Climate change, travel, migration
Topic: travelclimate change
Introduction
Travel medicine will increasingly see the health consequences of significant changes associated with global change, particularly climate change and socioeconomic development. Together these changes mean more opportunities for people to travel to pathogen-endemic countries and for pathogens to be imported to new locations, with the potential for unexpected communicable disease cases and outbreaks. Moreover, people who migrate or are displaced can also be at increased risk for chronic disease and mental health issues. Thus, travel medicine needs to take a broader perspective than just asking patients where they are going or where they have been, considering how the ongoing and projected shifts in the magnitude and pattern of disease could affect the health and well-being of individuals and populations. Modifications to the approaches used by health systems to manage adverse health outcomes are needed to ensure health care providers have the most up-to-date information.
Migration describes the movement of a person away from their usual residence whereas travel describes a person who passes from place to place, for any reason. Migration and travel have shaped the history of humanity and enriched societies economically, socially and culturally. Multiple and interacting factors drive migration in particular. Climate change, including increasing climate variability, can be one of these factors.
We discuss the potential impacts of climate change on migration and travel and the implications for travel medicine and public health practice. Following a brief review of climate change, we discuss the potential health implications of migration and travel and the way in which they are affected by climate change and provide suggestions for health systems to better manage the potential impact of climate change, migration and travel on population health.
Climate change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report on warming of 1.5°C concluded that human activities have caused ~1.0°C of global warming since pre-industrial times and that, if it continues to increase at the current rate, warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052.1 The Special Report concluded that climate change is increasing, and will continue to increase, land and ocean temperatures and the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves in most land regions (high confidence). It also concluded that climate change will continue to increase the frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation events globally and the risk of drought in the Mediterranean region specifically (medium confidence). Climate change is a long-term process, but the extent to which individual weather events are influenced by climate change can increasingly be estimated,(J,T,M, 2019).
Issue of climatic change affects changes of the sea level even snow affected for example decrease of snow at mountain Kilimanjaro now days due to change of climate which leads to decline in tourism because of attractive features deplete so as together we must care for our environment inorder to improve demand of tourism
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