Local authority leaders have said they need support to prepare for climate change after a stark report set out the health impacts of changing temperatures.
In the first report of its kind since 2012, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has projected future threats from heat, mosquitos, flooding and food security based on a ‘plausible worst-case scenario’ involving a 4.3C average temperature increase.
Under this scenario, the UKHSA estimated that heat-related deaths would increase by 1.5 times in the 2030s and by 12 times by 2070, and projected that cold-related deaths would increase for a period before declining.
The report stresses that public health interventions could have a major impact in reducing health risks caused by both heat and cold, and should be targeted based on geographic and social vulnerabilities.
The UKHSA also found that under a high emissions scenario, mosquito species, including those that can transmit dengue fever, chikungunya virus and zika virus, are 'increasingly likely' to become established in the UK.
The UKHSA’s head of centre for climate and health security, Dr Lea Berrang Ford, said: ‘Many current working age adults will be over 65 years and potentially highly vulnerable to the health impacts of increased temperatures.
‘A child born today will be in their working age years when health impacts may peak or accelerate further, depending on how much we decarbonise now.
‘The health decisions we make today will determine the severity and extent of climate impacts inherited by today’s youth and their children.’
The chairman of the Local Government Association’s community wellbeing board, David Fothergill, said: ‘It’s clear from this stark report that climate change could have a serious impact on the health of our local communities.
'Despite the best efforts of councils we know climate change will intensify into the future and councils are concerned that people and places will be left increasingly vulnerable without further preparation.
‘They need further support to prepare their communities for impacts of climate change before it is too late.’
