Topic:
Country: China
Delegate Name: Liz Schafer
Liz Schafer
Williamston High School
People’s Republic of China
World Health Organization
Climate Change and Public Health
Climate change describes the long-term phenomenon of changing temperatures and weather patterns, largely due to human activities such as deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, and irresponsible use of energy. The effects of climate change are extensive and far more complex than what many are aware of. In the environmental world, climate change can cause rising sea levels due to the melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, droughts in certain areas and floods in others, far more dangerous storms including hurricanes and typhoons, environmental degradation, natural capital degradation and a steep decline in the overall biodiversity of the Earth. All of these effects impact the health and safety of humans across the world. Burning fossil fuels not only contributes to global warming, but to the increased risk of dangerous toxins and chemicals poisoning populations of people. Furthermore, warming sea temperatures encourages pathogens to increase in size which can contaminate drinking water in times of severe flooding. The issue of climate change furthers the divide in healthcare inequality and punishes the people least responsible at the benefit of people the most responsible (Kaechele, Poole)
Currently, China faces issues with air pollution from greenhouse gasses and sulfur dioxide particulates, deforestation, floods, desertification, droughts, mosquito-borne diseases (malaria, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis) food/waterborne diseases (typhoid fever, bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A). China is a party to these international agreements pertaining to climate change: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Biodiversity, and Antarctic-Environmental Protection. Additionally, China is in the process of transitioning to a low-carbon economy by implementing or improving: subsidies for water use; disclosure requirements; an equitable transitional period for regions most dependent on fossil fuels; solar and wind power capabilities and energy storage; and electric vehicles (China’s Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Resilience Needs Shifts in Resources and Technologies).
In order to prevent further harm to the world’s people, China is willing to transition to less fossil fuel-intensive practices that will not only reduce China’s carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, but benefit public health. China also will continue improving safe drinking water sources and sanitation facility access. As mentioned earlier, China is currently planning to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through focusing on renewable energy sources and encouraging development of energy-efficient transportation. China would like to combine efforts with the United States of America, India, Russia, Japan, and members of the EU to help less-developed countries effected by climate change and cooperate on finding effective solutions to reduce individual emissions.
Works Cited
Bai, Li, et al. “Climate Change and Mosquito-Borne Diseases in China: A Review .” BioMed Central, BioMed Central, 9 Mar. 2013, globalizationandhealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1744-8603-9-10.
“China.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/. Accessed 19 Nov. 2023.
“China’s Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy and Climate Resilience Needs Shifts in Resources and Technologies.” World Bank, World Bank Group, 12 Oct. 2022, www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/10/12/china-s-transition-to-a-low-carbon-economy-and-climate-resilience-needs-shifts-in-resources-and-technologies.
Kaechele, Celia, and Gregory Poole. “Climate Change and Public Health.” GLICA.Org, GLICA.org, 18 Nov. 2023, glica.org/glica-conferences/glimun-2023-conference/glimun-2023-committees/climate-change-and-public-health/
