Climate Change Vulnerability and Health Impacts in South East Asia and China

Abstract

This chapter outlines climate vulnerabilities for countries in South East Asia and how these may influence human health in this region, and discusses the ethical issues related to the governance of climate adaptation within this context. Section 7.1 focuses on national climate adaptation strategies among countries in South East Asia, and discusses the bioethical issues arising from these strategies. It argues that the distinction between non-health and health adaptation measures gives rise to ethical concerns because the potential for preventing or alleviating the health threats from climate change long term may be overlooked. Section 7.2 focuses on vulnerabilities to climate of human health among urban populations in South East Asia and China, and discusses the ethical issues related to the governance of sustainable megacities in this region. It argues that health impacts of climate change and air pollution on urban populations must be taken into consideration in the development of governance strategies for sustainable development, with a view to ensuring that the health and wellbeing of urban populations is not compromised in the pursuit of socioeconomic development by a country as a whole. The paper concludes that bioethicists can contribute to raising awareness, among those involved in governance, of the importance of more proactive involvement of the health sector in the development of national climate adaptation strategies; and to flagging pitfalls in existing strategies regarding urban sustainable development that may compromise the health and wellbeing of urban populations, and of the urban poor in particular.