Humans have a deep and complex relationship with the sea . It provides food and essential nutrients , medicine and renewable energy . Peo...
Humans have a deep and complex relationship with the sea. It provides food and essential nutrients, medicine and renewable energy. People swim, surf and scuba dive in this “blue gym.” It is even an important part of therapeutic recreation, like surf therapy for war veterans and children with autism.
Economies are also bound to the ocean. Fishing, tourism, marine transportation and shipping bring jobs, income and food security, while serving culture and other social determinants of health.
From our ancestors to our children, diverse human cultures, livelihoods and ways of life flow to, and from, the sea. But rising greenhouse gas emissions are changing the ocean and putting our health at risk.
Ocean waters are now warmer, more acidic and hold less oxygen. Ocean ecosystems, already stressed from overfishing and pollution, face escalating risks of further degradation. With melting sea ice, rising sea levels and growing extreme weather events, human health and well-being now face many threats, most aimed at coastal populations.
1. Hydrologic disasters
Marked by their swift and destructive power, natural disasters are becoming more extreme and more frequent with climate change.
For example, tropical cyclones (like hurricanes and typhoons), which have killed about 1.33 million people since the beginning of the 20th century, are getting more intense with warming ocean waters. The number of Category 4 and Category 5 hurricanes has increased 25% to 30% for each degree Celsius of human-induced global warming since the mid-1970s.
Storm surges, flooding and physical trauma cause most fatalities and injuries. But in...
