Environmental Challenges and Public Health Inequality: Climate Change Impacts and Adaptive Behaviors

Climate change is increasingly emerging as a global threat to human health, profoundly affecting various aspects of life. Its impacts manifest both indirectly—through issues such as the spread of infectious diseases due to the expanded geographical distribution of insect vectors and pathogens, and mental and psychological issues stemming from displacement and property damage caused by frequent climate-related disasters—and directly, through exposure to extreme heat, storms, floods, and air pollution. There is growing evidence of the association between extreme climate-related events and physical and mental health outcomes; however, relatively little is known about their consequences for health inequalities, particularly for children and the elderly, both between and within different countries. Notably, climate change impacts are unevenly distributed across populations. Future climate projections indicate an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events resulting from climate change. Therefore, it is imperative to thoroughly investigate both potential and observed health impacts of climate change on public health, with a specific focus on the exacerbation of existing health disparities caused by extreme weather events. Concurrently, this research will explore public adaptive behaviors in response to the escalating risks posed by climate change.

This Research Topic aims to explore the multifaceted impacts of climate change on health outcomes and investigate the adaptive behaviors that communities and individuals adopt in response to these challenges. It will examine how systematic global action can address the inequality crises linked to climate change, especially considering existing research indicating that adaptation strategies relying primarily on individual preparedness, action, and behavior change may inadvertently exacerbate health and social inequalities due to selective uptake. The objective is to develop actionable insights and effective strategies for mitigating health risks associated with environmental changes.

To gather further insights into effective adaptive public health strategies, we welcome articles addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:

• Physical and mental health impacts of climate change
• Long-term health consequences of exposure to extreme weather events
• Mental health disparities exacerbated by climate-induced displacement and trauma
• Gender-specific vulnerabilities to climate-related health risks
• Challenges faced by children, the elderly, and people with disabilities in adapting to climate change
• Health inequalities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) exacerbated by climate change
• Impact of biodiversity loss on human well-being under climate change
• Community-based adaptation strategies aimed at reducing health risks related to climate change
• Role of public health campaigns in promoting climate resilience
• Effectiveness of early-warning systems and health advisories
• Public health policies designed to mitigate climate change impacts
• Role of climate justice in shaping public health responses
• Application of big data and AI for predicting health impacts of climate change
• Geospatial analysis for identifying vulnerable populations
• Modeling health outcomes under diverse climate scenarios