The Effects of Climate Change on Aquatic Ecosystems in Relation to Human Health

Year 2022, Volume: 37 Issue: 3, 123 - 128, 11.06.2022

Emine Gözde Özbayram , Derya Çamur , Latife Köker , Ayça Oğuz Çam , Reyhan Akçaalan , Meriç Albay

https://doi.org/10.26650/ASE20221057160

Abstract

This review paper aimed to summarize the climate change impacts on water sources and their re-lation with human and ecosystem health and evaluate better management strategies. In aquatic environments, climate change causes alteration of biodiversity and species distribution, changes in the duration of biological functions, decreasing productivities, alteration in food web structures, as well as triggering the invasion of various species, and variation in the presence, abundance, and concentrations of various co-stressors. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the surface water temperature in the oceans has risen by about 1°C. Consequently, human well-being is directly and indirectly affected by these alterations. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 3.5 mil-lion people die from water-related diseases each year. It is projected that the number of water-re-lated diseases will increase due to the effects of climate change. To cope with these problems, al-ternative water management strategies should be developed to have resilient water systems in terms of both ecological and technological perspectives. Thus, water management requires the cooperation of many sectors including citizens, institutions, public and private sectors, etc. within a multi-stakeholder approach.

Keywords

Climate change, ecosystem services, public health

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