The IPCC Working Group report, titled ‘Climate Change 2022: Impact, Adoption and Vulnerability’, warned that a wide range of climate-related events and conditions will have detrimental effects on mental health. The ways in which climate events affect mental health are diverse, complex, and linked to other non-climatic influences that create vulnerability.
The report said that direct effects of climate exposure may include experiencing prolonged high temperatures, while indirect effects of malnutrition or displacement may have mental health consequences. The report warns that not eliminating emissions will cause serious harm to the world. It will also include unbearable heat in South Asia, lack of food and water, and sea level rise.
Suicide, drug addiction will increase
Approved by 200 countries, the report also mentions non-climate moderating effects that can affect an individual’s personality and even structural inequalities. Mental health can also deteriorate due to climate events. Including anxiety, depression or stress disorders, and an increased tendency to suicidal and drug abuse.
adverse impact on Indian agriculture
According to the UN’s IPCC report, it will also have an adverse impact on Indian agriculture. Despite all the efforts, the ecosystem does not seem to be improving. It said, if the temperature rises by 1 to 4 degrees Celsius, the production of rice in India may decrease by 10 to 30 percent, while that of maize by 25 to 70 percent.
Food security, water crisis, fire-floods will increase
In the report, along with mentioning the damage caused by climate change, it has also been discussed how to reduce it. According to the report, the world’s population of 3.6 billion lives in areas where climate change can have the most impact.
Worldwide temperatures are projected to rise by 1.5 °C over the next two decades. Due to increase in temperature, problems like food security, water crisis, forest fires, transport system, urban infrastructure, floods have been predicted to increase.