Climate Change Impact on Public Health at the Russian Arctic

1. Boris Revich, MD, Ph.D, D. Sc., Prof.Head Laboratory of Environmental Health of the Institute for ForecastingRussia Academy of Science, Moscow3 International Arctic Forum, Salehard, 24.09.2013 Climate Change Impact on Public Health at the Russian Arctic

2. Research of relationship between Climate Change and Health Effects at Russian Arctic • Climate change and infections diseases, water and food quality • Impacts of heat waves and cold spells • Climate change + air pollution • Influence of global warming on traditional lifestyle and subsistence of small indigenous populations of Russian North ASSESMENT→PROGNOSIS →ADDAPTATIONS

3. Incidence of Tick-Borne Encephalitis in the Russian Federation and Arkhangelsk Oblast Tokarevich et.al. 2010, 2011

4. Prospective estimate of climate-induced changes in Ix. persulcatus habitat under the extreme climate change scenario until 2080-2099. 0 – no change; 1 – reduction in habitat area; 2 – expansion of habitat area; 3 – habitat at present time (Yasiukevich, 2013).

5. Prospective estimate of climate-induced changes in An. maculipennis habitat under the assumption that average global temperature rises by +1.5°С 0 –no mosquitoes of this species, 2 − expansion of habitat area; 3 − habitat at present time (Yasiukevich, 2013).

6. Permafrost degradation leads to disruption of engineering infrastructure Buildings built on permafrost slide down or fall apart; Urgent and costly repairs of sewage disposal systems, water supply networks, water treatment plants; Incidents / breakdowns of sewerage disposal networks; Depreciated quality of drinking water and water in open reservoirs; Increase in incidence of water borne infections, intestinal diseases

7. Anthrax cattle burial grounds in Arctic region

8. Мелкобугристый тундровый ландшафт в окрестностях с. Койда (к западу от зоны развития карста). Palsa bog and pit hummock tundra landscape in vicinities s. Koida (to the west from a zone of development of a karst)( Iglovsky, 2010)

9. Climate Сhange - Degradation of Permafrost –Anthrax cattle burial grounds • Anthrax among people or cattle have been reported in 29,000 settlements of the Russian North, including 270 Yakutia settlements (1906-2004 years), located near the burial grounds of cattle died from Anthrax • The results of paleo-microbiological tests showed that viable viruses of anthrax might survive in tissues of corpses under permafrost conditions (Belanov et al., 1997).

10. Geographic distribution of burial grounds of cattle died (+) from anthrax in Yakutia Revich, Podolnya, 2011

11. META-ANALYSISRelative mortality risks, RR [95% CI] during long cold waves (8 days and more) and short heat waves (5-7 days), pooled estimate for 4 cities – Murmansk, Archangelsk, Yakutsk and Magadan (Shaposhnikov,Revich2014)*)Statistically significant at 95% level

12. Double strike: climate change + environment pollution

13. Health risks for small indigenous populations of Chukotka, 2008 Vaigach island, 2011 Yakutyia, 2013 Early melting of ice Problems with hunting Increase in injury rates among reindeer-breeders

14. Стратегия адаптации к воздействию изменения климата на здоровье населения для Архангельской области и Ненецкого автономного округа Российской Федерации Стратегией предусмотрено: усиление межсекторального взаимодействия, укрепление лабораторной базы санитарной службы, развитие медицинской службы в отдаленных районах НАО, создание мобильных медицинских отрядов, усиление медицинского просвещения населения об опасности волн жары и других климатических изменений. Особое внимание уделено группам населения повышенного риска – пожилым, детям, социальным группам риска.

15. Thanks