Climate Change and Its Effects on Vulnerable Population Groups

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the health sector vulnerability due to climate change based on WHO framework that includes vulnerability. The results showed five groups of vulnerable population that are: Geographical vulnerability, Nutritional vulnerability, Socioeconomic Vulnerabilities, Water Scarcity and Sanitation Systems Vulnerability and Internally Displaced Population. The results also showed according to the WHO Regional Office of Eastern Mediterranean (WHO/EMRO, 2008a), the region is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change because of its arid nature and reliance on rain-fed food production’ and because of the endemic nature of many diseases and health problems which are sensitive to poverty and climate change, making the impact of climate change on the region greater than that on the world as a whole.