Challenges in maintaining health security in India under a changing climate and increasing population

Maintaining health security to the fast rising population under a changing climate has become a major challenge in India. Extremes in hydrometeorological conditions are serious challenges to public health. Floods, landslides, cyclones, and heat and cold waves kill thousands every year. Climate change affects physical capacity of the working class. India loses large number of Daily Adjusted Life Years. Falling availability and degradation of water resources leads to serious health issues. Malaria is likely to affect one-fifth of the country in 3 decades. Water-borne and air-borne diseases spread into new areas. Hiking prices make nutritious food and safe water inaccessible to a large population. Climate extremes result in psychiatric illness in poor people depending on climate sensitive sectors for livelihood. Suicide of hundreds of farmers and the post-traumatic stress disorder syndromes developed after the cyclone and heat wave are examples. Migration of population, both internal displacement and inflow from surrounding countries cause spreading of diseases. A comprehensive assessment of the impact of climate changes on public health and of the challenges in population control in India is made in this paper. Current adaptation strategies and policies have been critically reviewed to provide guidelines for a better policy.