Description
INTRODUCTION
Ladakh located in the Trans-Himalayan range is a cold arid desert in India. It is an area that is sensitive to environmental changes, and more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The exponential increase of tourists is affecting the regions soil, water supplies, waste management, and in turn health(1).
WHO in its factsheet in October 2023 mentioned that between 2030 to 2050, 2,50,000 additional deaths will be caused due to climate change, diarrhoea and under nutrition being a few of the reasons(2).
The purpose of this literature review is to address the implications of climate change in Ladakh, and draw attention to the research gap that exists between climate change and its effects on health.
METHODOLOGY
Google Scholar, Pubmed, and Scopus were used to find the relevant articles. Key words such as Climate crisis AND Ladakh, Health and climate crisis in Ladakh and references of articles found were used to find relevant articles.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The literature on the relationship between health and climate change in Ladakh is scarce. Two pertinent papers that addressed drinking water contamination and its impact on health were identified. While one study tested the groundwater and determined it was safe to drink(3), another study surveyed several homes and came to the conclusion that the residents believed the rise in diarrhoea was caused by contaminated drinking water(4).
Both these reports concluded that the tourist boom, and lack of regulated groundwater extraction was a cause of concern. The gap in integrated research, and rapid urbanization of a fragile ecosystem is a cause of concern.
India has drafted the National Program on Climate Change and Human Health in 2018, initiating the strengthening of healthcare delivery through thematic action plans, convergence, advocacy, and capacity building efforts(5). These efforts, while in the nascent stage, are a step in the right direction towards bridging the gap between climate change and healthcare.
CONCLUSION
Our literature review hopes to bring attention to the importance of climate change in environmentally fragile regions, and discuss solutions addressing:
Water security which includes protecting water from getting contaminated as well as conserving it
Solid waste management
Agriculture sustainability
Planned Urban development and
Health initiatives and data recording to integrate climate change and its effects.
REFERENCES
1.Geneletti, Davide & Dawa, Dorje. (2009). Environmental impact assessment of mountain tourism in developing regions: A study in Ladakh, Indian Himalaya. Environmental Impact Assessment Review. 29. 229-242. 10.1016/j.eiar.2009.01.003.
2.Climate change. (2023, October 12). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health
3.Dolma K, Rishi MS, Herojeet R (2015) Baseline Study of Drinking Water Quality– A Case of Leh Town, Ladakh (J&K), India. Hydrol Current Res 6: 198. doi:10.4172/2157-7587.1000198
4.Gondhalekar, D., Nussbaum, S., Akhtar, A., Kebschull, J. (2015). Planning Under Uncertainty: Climate Change, Water Scarcity and Health Issues in Leh Town, Ladakh, India. In: Leal Filho, W., Sümer, V. (eds) Sustainable Water Use and Management. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12394-3_16
5.A collection of Case Studies - Climate Change and Health :: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (n.d.). https://ncdc.mohfw.gov.in/showfile.php?lid=1322
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